《The?Beautiful Billionaire》 Chapter 1 LINDEN ¡°What a surprise when I checked my schedule for today.¡± I rose from my seat to meet Moses Braddson, one of the world¡¯s most powerful and influential billionaires, and he was standing before me, aging like a fine wine. ¡°How are you, Gabe?¡± We shook hands before he pulled me into a hug like how he did to his son, Striker Cade, one of my brothers and best friends. ¡°I¡¯m good, boss. Thank you,¡± I replied as I pulled back. I still wondered what this visit was all about. He always called and met me in his estate if he wanted to talk, so Moses being here perplexed me. ¡°Can I offer you something?¡± ¡°Gabe, I¡¯m like your father, and you¡¯re still calling me boss and treating me like one.¡± ¡°I owe you-¡± He gestured for me to stop. ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything. I am the one who owed a huge debt to you.¡± ¡°If you mean Cade, I will always protect his ass, take a bullet for him because that¡¯s what brothers do, boss. I call you boss because I have a huge respect for you, and you¡¯re my best friend¡¯s father.¡± ¡°Thank you. I know I can still count on you no matter what.¡± ¡°Of course. Since I can¡¯t offer you anything, may I ask what this surprise is all about?¡± ¡°Walk with me.¡± As he slipped a hand into his pocket, he went to the door, and I left no choice but to follow him. ¡°Of course.¡± I buttoned my dark blue Italian suit and followed him out of my office. It never ceased to amaze me every time I was on the seventh floor overlooking the full view of Wade Lounge of my new building that had just opened eight months ago. My dearest sweetheart London, Striker¡¯s wife, called it a fancy donut because of the design, while I called it state-of-the-art. Since The Firm signed a multi-million dor contract with Hover Defense and Security, my life changed drastically. I built my own building and hired thousands of people. I opened five more HQ in other states and countries, and the Firm was officially named Osmium Resource Group. ¡°This is really a great view,¡± Moses looked at the ss roof where he could see the clear blue sky, the offices across us, and the lounge I named after my fallen brother. ¡°Come on, boss. Just spill it out. What do you have in mind?¡± I stopped before him. ¡°I heard you declined the job Gustav gave you two weeks ago.¡± I sighed. ¡°You came all the way here for that?¡± ¡°No, Gabe. I want to know why?¡± ¡°I could have emailed you and exined the reason in two pages.¡± My face broke into a smile. ¡°And yes, because he didn¡¯t want my men to do the job. I¡¯m done doing favors. And I don¡¯t know him personally to do what he asks-¡± I stopped when I realized what I said. I sighed, and he seemed to understand my point. ¡°Boss, I only do favors for my family without a thought. You know that.¡± ¡°I know. Thank you for doing that to Lake.¡± I wanted to roll my eyes because that was ssified unless Lake told him. Before I could say something more, he already said what I had in mind. ¡°I know everything.¡± ¡°Then you know why I declined.¡± ¡°You just told me.¡± ¡°You know that was not the real reason.¡± ¡°I know that too. Remember why my son left for Winterbourn after rescuing London? Because she was too young for her, and he thought she didn¡¯t deserve someone like him.¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± I raised my hand. ¡°Boss, a client is a client. I¡¯m the boss, and I follow that rule every day. I declined because I have tons of work to do in my office, and the teams have all their assignments; that left me and Jasper to handle the office job.¡± ¡°I call it bullshit.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Just say it already.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll thank meter.¡± ¡°Now you sound just like Linus.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Gabe, take it as your vacation.¡± ¡°You know I don¡¯t have to ask your permission if I want a month-long vacation, right?¡± ¡°Because you worked so hard for the past years. Yourpany is in good hands. You deserve a whole year off.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t call it a vacation when I have to find a woman in hiding. What¡¯s that call me? A bounty hunter?¡± Mosesughed. He found it funny. ¡°She¡¯s a pretty bounty. When I first met her, she was just in high school, and I imagined her and Striker to be together.¡± I sighed in defeat, surrendering to my newly appointed job. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°She¡¯s with her loyal bodyguard.¡± ¡°I know what to do. Gustav filled me in. I will just snap her bodyguard¡¯s neck, roofie her, put her in a crate, and hand deliver her to her father. Why did she run away anyway? Who¡¯s handling her business?¡± ¡°People, she pays to do the job, and she can do her job anywhere in the world.¡± ¡°Good for her.¡± ¡°Do what¡¯s necessary, Gabe. Just bring her here safe.¡± ¡°If you say so, boss.¡± ¡°Thank you, Gabe.¡± He offered his hand for a handshake. ¡°Of course.¡± I gripped his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Cade about this. Just tell him I¡¯m on a business trip.¡± *** I just stepped into the private jet when my phone rang. It was Striker calling me. Of course, I should expect by now that Moses would never keep a secret from his son. ¡°Cade,¡± I answered with disinterest. ¡°Business trip, huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡± I could see him grinning at me. ¡°I know you know what¡¯s this trip all about.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Heughed out loud. My ear began ringing. ¡°Do you need help?¡± ¡°Fuck you.¡± I went to the chair after the flight attendant took my duffel bag. ¡°I love you, too, brother.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your Pa¡¯s fault. And you know I can¡¯t say no to that old man.¡± ¡°He¡¯s sitting next to me.¡± ¡°Of course he is.¡± ¡°Well, good luck. If you need help, just make SOS out of the seashells. We¡¯ll be there in a jiffy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna have fun. Enjoy and collect some cute colorful tiny umbres-¡± ¡°Fuck you, Cade.¡± ¡°Seriously, though. This is an easy job.¡± He had no idea what I put myself into, but I wasn¡¯t going to tell him that, to make more fun of me. I thought of it as another job, like I did more times than I could count. I was on a solo mission this time but I did my assignment. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, brother.¡± I took a nap after the take-off because I needed my strength. I would be working alone, and I didn¡¯t know how long to convince the subject to get home. Looking at these pictures on her Instagram ount, I knew she had that fierce fire in her. As soon as the jetnded at Trapani airport, I was picked up by my contact and traveled to Marettimo by ferry, where the subject was at this moment. I typed a quick message to Jasper, the COO of Osmium. Jasper had been running the HQ in Canada for thest two years. When we changed the name and transferred to our new building Osmium, I promoted him. He had changed a lot and helped Feds catch bad guys. He redeemed himself, and I couldn¡¯t be prouder, and so as his sister Sadie, who was married to my brother Cenric Wollf. LINDEN: Keep my location off the radar. Only Sax and Kye know from the ORG. JASPER: Done. Contact me if you need anything. Be safe. LINDEN: I¡¯ll be fine. Thanks. First, I had to blend in. I took a quick shower and changed into something suitable for the evening. A bar a few blocks from my hotel was a little remote but closer to the vi where the subject stayed. The sun just began to set, and the view of the ocean was spectacr in an orange and blue hue. I realized Moses was right. I might need a vacation after all. After being honorably discharged from the service, I quickly went to work when Cenric hired me and Beck as his bodyguard. Since then, I have never stopped working for almost five years. I hadn¡¯t any regrets, though. I met good people and found new friends and family. Someone said the fruit ofbor was the sweetest of all pleasures, and I agreed. Despite many obstacles and rejections, I wouldn¡¯t be here today without my hard work, dedication, and determination. My brothers- I owed them big time. Despite the spectacr view from the outside of the bar, where open tables under umbres, I went inside. It was crowded with local patrons and tourists. The musicians were ying local music on the small stage. The stools were almost upied but one. And just what I expected, I would find my subject here in a pretty floral dress with her watermelon caipiroska. She crossed her long shapely toned legs, showing off those creamy thighs. But Quinn Hunter was nowhere near her. I drew a deep breath before upying the stool next to her that caught her attention. I was weed with her big, round dazzling Cdon blue eyes, reminding me of a hot young Hollywood actress. Her feature was just stunning. It had been a long damn time since a woman interested me like this. ¡°Sorry, is this seat taken?¡± Her skeptical eyebrow arched, and she shrugged. ¡°You found me.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Congrattions. How much my father paid you? I¡¯ll make it double-no three times. Just leave me alone.¡± I yed a decoy. ¡°How much what?¡± ¡°Oh,e on. You¡¯re an American, and you-¡± She inspected me from head to toe. ¡°Obviously, in the military-¡± ¡°Was. Yes.¡± ¡°Well, thank you for your service, sir.¡± ¡°Wee.¡± ¡°And you work-¡± ¡°I was just asking if the seat was taken,dy. And I came here to order a drink and spend my days on this beautiful ind since my boss literally forced me out of work to have this vacation.¡± She shut her mouth closed and swallowed. So, she bit it. I was aware I had caught the bartender¡¯s attention, so I ordered my drink. ¡°Negroni, please.¡± The bartender took my order and went to mix my drink. But before that, he bounced his gaze between me and the most beautifuldy in the bar tonight. She cleared her throat. ¡°Um. This is a free country. The seat is yours.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I quickly sat before she changed her mind or, worse, left. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m kind of cynical to see a big guy like you and an American.¡± ¡°All good.¡± I briefly looked at her side before I faced the bartender who just ced my drink. ¡°I¡¯m Estelle.¡± ¡°Linden.¡± Chapter 2 ESTELLE ¡°Are you sure you wanna go alone?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I looked at Quinn through the mirror as I did my final touch on my makeup. His tall and athletic physique stood at the door with brows squeezed together. His brown eyes pinned at me. Quinn Hunter had been my bodyguard for three years. He was loyal and dedicated and would do anything for me, even maybe catch a bullet- I hoped it would note to that. When I had a conflict with my father, Quinn stayed even if Gustav dwyn was the one who hired him. I couldn¡¯t ask for a better man to protect me than Quinn. ¡°You know what to do,¡± he prompted, unimpressed. I sighed as I picked up my panic button. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, Estelle. Unless you wanna go back to your father.¡± ¡°I just want a drink and walk down the beach alone.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Are you,¡± he said hesitantly. ¡°Going to bring home a date?¡± His question made meugh. I turned to face him. His expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°What made you say that? Because I¡¯m going out alone? You know I can still bring home a guy with or without you, right?¡± ¡°You might pick up-¡± ¡°That was one time.¡± I turned to face the mirror again when I remembered I had almost got taken by a cute guy hired by my father to bring me back home. ¡°Dad knows my type, and it won¡¯t happen again. I already learned my lesson.¡± ¡°Very well. I¡¯m just an SOS away.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The bar is just around the corner.¡± ¡°Maybe we should relocate. I had a feeling that someone might tip your father where you are.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I only used cash. I don¡¯t use my own credit cards anymore, and there¡¯s no way Dad would go to that length to monitor my bank transactions, but I¡¯m still careful.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to get in trouble while I¡¯m not with you.¡± ¡°And you did that thing to bounce the IP address every time I did my conference call, and I¡¯m still using the prepaid phone.¡± ¡°I hope so, but you know you can¡¯t hide from your father for the rest of your life. You eventually have to decide to go back home. You have businesses there, Estelle.¡± ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know that? Consider this my vacation.¡± ¡°Vacation, huh? Have you been enjoying this so far?¡± I rose to my feet, propped my hands on my hips, and threw him a re. ¡°What¡¯s up with you today? You¡¯ve been grumpier since you woke up this morning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I overstepped.¡± ¡°No. Tell me, what¡¯s wrong? Is everything okay back home?¡± ¡°Nothing. And everything¡¯s fine.¡± I wasn¡¯t convinced, but when it came to my safety, I knew he wouldn¡¯t jeopardize it. He would inform me if my father found us. ¡°I paid a huge amount to keep us off the radar, Quinn. You need to chill out. Have fun. This is a beautiful ind with a lot of beautiful women and handsome men.¡± ¡°Okay. Just be careful.¡± ¡°Maybe you should juste with me. Or just go out and hook up with the tourist or local girls. You need to getid, Quinn.¡± ¡°No, thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± I grabbed my bag and slipped my phone inside. A few minutester, I was already in my favorite bar. Of course, Quinn didn¡¯t miss checking me out every five minutes; sometimes, it was annoying how thorough and protective he was. The watermelon Caiparoska was to die for. ¡°Should I tell the kitchen your dinner for tonight?¡± The bartender already knew me. ¡°Maybeter.¡± ¡°You¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°Quinn is being Quinn today.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He nodded. I took another sip of my drink. Then someone just talked. His deep voice rumbled. It took me a while to take in, but I knew he was American. The ent was definitely a New Yorker. What caught me off guard was how tall he was, taller than Quinn, towering over me. He was broad and muscr but not too bulky, with pure muscles just by looking at his sinewy biceps, and he was probably cute. He also smelled good, like soap and fresh, like he hadn¡¯t been under the sun. When I drifted my gaze up- oh, boy, I wished I could take my words back. I just used this cute- no, this man was definitely not cute- he was hot. He had a five o¡¯clock shadow dusting his prominent sharp jawline. His aquiline nose reminded me of a famous 20¡¯s heartthrob actor. He was a few years older than me, but the quiff-messy hairstyles looked too damn good on him. He just gave me a quick nod when I apologized. I guessed I just ruined his mood. I felt like a bitch. ¡°The rest I could do is buy you a drink for my unwanted behavior.¡± His dark eyebrows quizzically arched as he gestured outside. ¡°Under that big umbre?¡± I smiled. ¡°Under that big umbre.¡± ¡°Eliam, make two for dinner.¡± I rose from the stool as I told the bartender. ¡°Dinner?¡± Linden also slid from the stool. ¡°We¡¯re already having our dinner.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. It¡¯s dinner time, and it¡¯s rude to eat alone while you¡¯re with me.¡± I walked toward the door. He was fast and already there before I could push the door open, helping me out. A small smile spread across his full lips. He was charming. Linden, whatever his full name, was a handsome and hot fe. ¡°You can eat your dinner alone. It¡¯s no biggie, really. You already apologized and offered me a drink.¡± ¡°Toote. The linguine with ms is delizioso.¡± I did it with my fingers, making him chuckle. We upied the table that oversaw the dark ocean. The breeze wasn¡¯t chilly tonight, just perfect if it was a romantic night with this stranger. ¡°So obviously, you¡¯re from the US. What brought you to Marittemo? Aside from running away from your father.¡± I was almost taken aback, and it didn¡¯t miss his hawk eyes. But then I remember using him of working for my father. I was just d that he seemed unaware of who I was. ¡°My father isn¡¯t conservative and believes in old ways, but when ites to business, he will do anything to keep the money running. So he arranged a marriage to the son of the wealthiest businessman. He believes in a business alliance.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± His response was sincere. He really didn¡¯t have any idea who I was, or he was just good at it. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Wow. I know arranged marriage still exists, but can¡¯t you find a man on your own?¡± He looked at me, really looked at me. His sapphire blue eyes met mine. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to settle down. Sure, I had boyfriends, but thest man I dated two years turned out to be a jerk, a cheat. Because I was more sessful with the business, he made sleeping around his own venture.¡± ¡°Sorry to hear that. You deserve more than a jerk, Estelle.¡± Then I realized I overshared while he shared nothing. Iughed. I didn¡¯t admit I needed to let that out of my chest to a stranger. ¡°Tell me about you, Linden.¡± ¡°I work at the private military contractor-¡± ¡°You mean like a mercenary?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too venal. We have ethics. We work by our code.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not judging, but I feel like it¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°Can be.¡± ¡°So what brought you here asides from your boss forcing you out of the office to take this vacation.¡± ¡°There¡¯s that-my boss. I can¡¯t say no to him. It¡¯s not because he¡¯s my boss, but I greatly respect him.¡± When our dinner arrived with a bottle of red wine, he respectfully dismissed the waiter and poured us wine. I could see the reaction on his face as he took the forkful into his mouth. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s my first reaction.¡± ¡°I could make a mean linguine, but this is fantastic. It¡¯s the bnce of white wine, lemon, olive oil, and garlic didn¡¯t overpower the m. Given we are just beside the ocean, the ms are fresh.¡± He chewed it very well and dawned it with the wine. ¡°Perfect. Not chewy or hard. It was tender and juicy.¡± ¡°You cook?¡± ¡°A little,¡± he replied humbly. ¡°A little? I know this is good pasta because it¡¯s delicious, but you just told me what¡¯s in here one by one. No one could tell that unless he knows his way in the kitchen.¡± ¡°You can literally taste them,¡± he argued, even amused. ¡°What else-¡± I stopped as I realized this was just an apology dinner. That was all. We would not meet again. He wouldn¡¯t want to see me again. And he was older than me. Jeez, Estelle. Get a grip. After our dinner, he rose to his feet. ¡°Since this was your treat, I wouldn¡¯t insist on paying.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t dare. Thank you, Linden, for having dinner with me.¡± ¡°It was lovely.¡± He took the hand I held out, shaking it firmly. When our skin touched, I did my best to ignore the little jolt in my body. His hand was big, and I could tell by the veins that he worked hard. ¡°Good night.¡± Chapter 3 LINDEN I¡¯d been staring at the ceiling in my hotel suite for an hour and couldn¡¯t sleep. I wanted to update Moses that I found Estelle dwyn, but it was too early to go with the n. I didn¡¯t want to spook her and Quinn. I picked up my phone and went through her Instagram ount. Still, she hadn¡¯t uploaded anything new except for Star Cosmetics and Star Activewear ounts, which the social media manager handled. I couldn¡¯t believe her father wanted her to marry for a business alliance. It wasn¡¯t new to me. In fact, my brothers married their wives through arranged marriages. Thankfully, they were all happy. Estelle, on the other hand, was another story. Gustav dwyn didn¡¯t mention this important part, and so as Moses. Why? I was going to find it out, and the man arranged to Estelle. She was stunning, though- hot as fuck. She was funny, but I could see the distrust in her eyes, given that her own father had broken her trust. I got it. She didn¡¯t know me. I guessed it was a good idea that she shouldn¡¯t rely on anyone she just met, but at the same time, I didn¡¯t have the luxury of gaining her trust before she could blow my cover. I dialed Moses¡¯ number. To my surprise, he answered. ¡°Gabe.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the guy?¡± I went directly to the point, knowing he was a busy man. ¡°The guy?¡± I heard noises in the background. ¡°Are you at a party?¡± ¡°Son, I won¡¯t just answer any call. What guy are you talking about?¡± ¡°Do you know the reason why she ran away?¡± ¡°Gustav told me that he¡¯s afraid she may lose millions with the new venture she was working on, so he advised her to invest half of her worth to Connect Technology and Emerce Company Gustave owned.¡± ¡°And you believe him?¡± ¡°Not even a bit, but his family secrets and drama are not mine to tell. Why¡¯d you ask?¡± ¡°That son of a bitch just lied to you. I was hoping you could tell me who¡¯s the guy she was arranged to be married to save time for my men to look for the mystery guy.¡± ¡°I thought so. Gustav and yton Weston have been spending a lot of timetely.¡± ¡°The sweater guy?¡± Mosesughed from the other line. ¡°Yes. Tyrion Weston¡¯s only son.¡± ¡°The Yacht builder. Well, shit. No wonder Gustav pushed his only daughter to Weston. That guy is loaded.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short, son-¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Stiffly, I furrowed my brows as I was downright curious. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I know that girl since she just hit puberty, but yton Weston is not good for her. They would end up in tragedy. Trust me.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question, boss.¡± ¡°Figure it out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m lost.¡± I wasn¡¯t, but I denied the fact that my job just turned personal even for me.What the fuck? ¡°I have to go. Here¡¯s one thing I can give you advice as my son. You¡¯re thirty. You found a beautiful woman who will probably ask for your help. Help her and see where it goes.¡± *** After renting a small yacht, I went to the coffee shop across from the hotel. I bought ck coffee and pastries before I went to stroll on the beach. Even if I had an assignment, I made sure to make time to enjoy my stay and maybe ogled a beautiful woman if our paths crossed today before heading to the next ind. I sipped my coffee and opened the pastry bag. The smell alone was a delight. I picked up one and took a huge bite of a pillowy, ky pasty. It tasted amazing. ¡°Hey, cook.¡± I stiffened. My hand with the baked good was halfway to my mouth. I turned around and faced the familiar voice that had just called me cook. Jesus Christ. She was like a goddess of the sea that I forgot the name of. Seeing Estelle in her sleeveless shirt and very short shorts, my brain went ck. Her brte wavy long hair was messy as if it flew by the breeze, but she looked no less than stunning. She stopped a few steps before me, and I got to see her up closed. There was a brown patch in her left eye. For others could be a w, but I saw it as her best asset. ¡°Your eyes. They¡¯re stunning.¡± ¡°Wow. Good morning, stranger.¡± She snatched the bag from my hand and peeked inside. She picked up my favorite cannoli, took a big bite, and chewed it faithfully as if it were hers.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Around the corner?¡± ¡°Are you stalking me?¡± ¡°In your dreams, Landon.¡± I knew she did that on purpose and gave back the bag, snatched my coffee, and sipped it. I unknowingly licked my lips and didn¡¯t miss her scrutinizing gorgeous eyes. ¡°We have the same taste. I like ck.¡± ¡°I thought a girl like you prefers creamy with all those kinds of milk products and artificial sweets.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not most girls, Landy.¡± ¡°Enough with those names. Can I have my coffee back? I¡¯m sure you can afford to buy the entire coffee shops in Marettimo.¡± She took another sip before she gave it to me. ¡°Thanks. If I knew I found you here, I would have taken you to the coffee shop. I like their cannoli.¡± ¡°So you were expecting to run into me, huh?¡± ¡°Well, I can tell you¡¯re a Yankee, and so do I. I don¡¯t really acquaint myself with others, but you look trustworthy enough to share a table with me at the cafe.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s all a part of the n to gain your trust, and I am a serial killer atrge.¡± My coffee was almost empty. ¡°Can I buy you a coffee?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually going to another ind. Wannae with me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I just went here for a morning walk.¡± ¡°Okay. Enjoy your walk, but meet me at the dock at 9 am if you change your mind.¡± I walked away before she could tell me she was not going to change her mind. After I bought some items from the public market, I went to the boat. I was really looking forward to seeing Estelle at the dock. It was quarter to nine, ording to my watch, and it looked like I was sailing to another ind alone. I set up the boat. I was about to loosen the rope when I heard footsteps. I didn¡¯t want to turn around and got disappointed to see it was not her. And she would call my name if it were Estelle. I threw the rope to the boat and was about to jump over when she called my name. I thought so. She remembered my name. My heart did a little thumping. ¡°Going without me?¡± I checked the time before I looked at her. I almost fell on my ass. She was wearing a yellow sundress, sandals, and those oversized tote bags women had these days. ¡°Time is an essence. If you¡¯re a minutete, you won¡¯t find me here. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Jeez. Loosen up a little, Linden.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± I offered my hand to help her into the boat. ¡°As a heart attack.¡± She gripped my hand as she stepped into the boat. I ignored the tingles and the softness of her palm against myrge hand. ¡°You could have told me it¡¯s a yacht. I was expecting a fishing boat, maybe. Do you like to go fishing often?¡± ¡°Nottely. Work has been hectic.¡± ¡°You must earn pretty well from the private military.¡± ¡°I rented this, and it¡¯s a small yacht. Don¡¯t act so surprised, Estelle dwyn.¡± ¡°You looked up for me online?¡± She pursed her lips before following me inside and dropped her bag on the chair. ¡°Curiosity, I guess. A beautifuldy alone on the Ind of Marettimo? That¡¯s rare.¡± ¡°What did you find out so far?¡± she asked as she joined me. The yacht went out toward the sea smoothly. ¡°Are you sure you know how this thing works?¡± She pointed at the buttons and steering wheel. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We can call Mayday if we get lost.¡± Her reaction was funny, showing me those big blue eyes with her mouth hanging open. ¡°Just kidding, Estelle.¡± ¡°Call me Elle.¡± ¡°Estelle is pretty. It means star.¡± ¡°Hmm. You didn¡¯t tell me what did you find out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you tell me what you are doing on the remote ind alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not alone. I¡¯m with Quinn.¡± ¡°Let me guess, not your boyfriend since you came with me alone.¡± ¡°He looks out for me. He isn¡¯t exactly fond of the idea of me going with the stranger I just met yesterday, but he can¡¯t stop me either.¡± ¡°Your bodyguard.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± She pressed her lips into a thin line. ¡°Why did youe with me, Estelle?¡± I faced her this time. ¡°You¡¯re interesting.¡± I pinned my gaze on her and asked, ¡°Do you alwayse with someone interesting?¡± ¡°My question, Linden.¡± ¡°My name is Gabe Linden.¡± ¡°Gabe short for Gabriel?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, Gabriel. Tell me what did you find out about me.¡± ¡°You have twenty million followers on Instagram. You founded Star Cosmetics and Star Activewear. You became one of the youngest self-made billionaires.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± She didn¡¯t look impressed with my findings. ¡°People look at me as one of those repo kids, and you don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Self-made, Estelle.¡± ¡°Well, to those people, what they see is I use my dwyn money and influence to get what I want.¡± ¡°What about you? What do you see in yourself?¡± ¡°I worked my ass off day and night seven days a week.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s what people didn¡¯t see. They see only a glimpse of your everyday life on social media because they only see the morous Estelle.¡± I slid my gaze over her body. ¡°Why not show them behind the scenes, the real you without those mours and luxury around you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± She swallowed and dropped her gaze. ¡°Sorry. I was hard on you. As far as I can see, you are more beautiful by just being you. Like how you are with me right now.¡± ¡°This is also me.¡± She gestured to herself. ¡°Then be you. Can you swim?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you and I are gonna swim.¡± Chapter 4 ESTELLE Quinn was waiting for me at the door. The vi was too big for both of us but safer, and I valued my privacy very much, considering my current situation. ¡°I¡¯m early, am I?¡± Quinn took the bag of the dinner I brought for him, still wearing the same expression since I left hours ago. ¡°You¡¯re mad at me?¡± ¡°I feel useless. You might as well fire me if you just want to bench me.¡± ¡°I have pepper spray and know a few basic self-defense moves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not funny, Estelle. When you are in that situation, you will forget everything you know. You will panic.¡± ¡°What situation exactly?¡± I lifted my chin. ¡°That someone will kidnap me?¡± ¡°What if someone will recognize you and spike your drink?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you paid some locals to tip you if I¡¯m in trouble.¡± ¡°You always have answers to everything. I hope we won¡¯te to that, Estelle, because I would never forgive myself if something happened to you, and I wasn¡¯t there to protect you.¡± Quinn left, leaving me in the Mediterranean-style living room. I went to my room and was tempted to check Linden, but there were probably thousands of Linden in the US and a couple in New York. It would likely narrow down to a few heads who had military service. I was tempted to ask Quinn if he knew someone named Linden, but he seemed grumpytely. I was always an early riser. When I woke up at five, he was already up brewing coffee. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be on the beach. Do you want me to-¡± ¡°No. Just don¡¯t go far from the beach.¡± ¡°No lecture and reminders?¡± He smiled a little. Quinn was around Linden¡¯s age. He was also attractive, but he was my bodyguard, and no way in hell I would sleep with him, or he would be interested in me. He was here for his job, and maybe he genuinely cared for me, but that was it. We were like best friends. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I better go before the sun toasts my skin. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Enjoy your walk.¡± I always loved quiet and serenity. I passed by a few heads as I strolled down the beach. The air was fresh and salty, and it felt good to walk down without thinking about the chaos at home, my issue with my father, and the businesses I had. Since I walked away three months ago, I settled the management. Despite being the face of the brand, I stepped down as the CEO of Star LLC and let my mother take over because she was a strong-willed woman, and there was no way she would agree with everything my father would tell her. How they married and had me when they couldn¡¯t stand together still puzzled me. Maybe that was why they got divorced while I was still eight. Deidre Moore was tough as nails and perfect for the CEO seat. Now I was still running Star LLC as the chairman. I had to think twice when Linden invited me to a boat ride. First, he looked trustworthy but so as an ax murderer, but something was intriguing about him as if he was hiding something big behind that cool and calm facade. Though sometimes my curiosity got me in trouble, there was no harm in getting to know him. He didn¡¯t mention he left someone back home, so I assumed he was single. He was not wearing any ring or even a mark on his finger. When I got back to the vi, Quinn knocked on my door. ¡°Are you decent?¡± ¡°Come in.¡± I put two pairs of swimwear, toiletries, some lotions, shorts, and two dresses into the tote bag. ¡°Going somewhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going on a boat with a friend.¡± ¡°What friend? Howe I didn¡¯t know about a friend?¡± He came in and stopped beside me. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell you I met someone yesterday because you will overreact.¡± ¡°This is where you get yourself in danger. You¡¯re telling me nothing. And you¡¯re going without even letting me check who- wait. A guy?¡± ¡°Yes. A guy, Quinn, and I kinda like him.¡± His brows shot up. ¡°Kinda? What¡¯s his name? Let me talk to the agency.¡± I stopped and looked at him. ¡°I thought you and your agency were not on good terms anymore since you didn¡¯t update them.¡± ¡°I reached out to Brodanst week, and he reenlisted me. Don¡¯t worry. The agency is tight unless your father hired one of them to look for you, but so far, none. I¡¯m sure your father knows they won¡¯t help him.¡± ¡°Is that why you¡¯re so grumpy?¡± ¡°No. They couldn¡¯t confirm, but your father hired someone to look for you. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not happy you are doing what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back tonight. I promise I¡¯ll take care of myself and give you an update every hour.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t agree with you going out alone with a stranger, Estelle. What if he¡¯s that guy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. And if he is, then I¡¯ll just knee him in the balls.¡± He chuckled, but the worry was still deep in his eyes. *** Linden almost left me. Apparently, he was time conscious. Maybe he got it from the service. It was good practice, though. I went down to him while he was preparing something in the galley. ¡°Can I help?¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost done. Just making sandwiches for us.¡± He was stacking some veggies into the bread. ¡°Any allergies?¡± ¡°Liar.¡± He froze and stared at me. ¡°I¡¯m allergic to liars.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we all?¡± He blinked. ¡°Then why do people lie?¡± ¡°To protect someone from the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts, and maybe they can¡¯t just face it.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s a coward. I¡¯ll be on the deck.¡± I went up and sat pretty on the deck. The sun began to prick my skin. I put some sunscreen on, but I couldn¡¯t reach my back. ¡°Let me help.¡± I turned my head, and he was carrying a tray with sandwiches and two big cocktail sses. He ced it on the table and took the lotion from me. I positioned myself so that he could apply the lotion, and a few secondster, nothing happened. I didn¡¯t feel his hands on my skin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He was clenching his jaw as he stared down at my back. ¡°Should I untie my suit?¡± He cursed under his breath before he replied, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Are you married?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Anyone at home? Girlfriend, girlfriends, boyfriend?¡± He sighed. ¡°No. It¡¯s just. Fuck. You¡¯re hot.¡± His voice deepened as if he was holding something back. I chuckled. ¡°And it¡¯s a bad thing? My back will get burned if you won¡¯t start moving, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Linden is fine.¡± Finally, I felt the lotion and his huge hand on my skin. There was definitely a hesitation, and I could feel the restraint in the movement of his fingers, but he was exploring, causing heat to pool in my belly. His touch awakened something inside me- a warmth that I never felt in a long time, a gentleness, sincerity, and desire- the unbidden feeling I should not have kept popping into my head.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Gabriel is better unless it reminds you of something or someone.¡± ¡°Whatever, Estelle.¡± When he was done, he didn¡¯t think twice. ¡°Done.¡± When I got up and turned around, he was nowhere near me. Then a ssh of water from the sea indicated that he had just jumped off the boat. The water was too deep for me, so I just watched him swim like a diver. He was already shirtless, nothing but his shorts, but there was no mistake of those hard muscles on his back. ¡°Are you just gonna watch from there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too deep.¡± ¡°I thought you could swim.¡± He turned around, facing the boat. ¡°In the swimming pool, duh. And on the beach, not in the freaking ocean.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± He gestured his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll catch you.¡± ¡°No thanks.¡± I went to the bench and put my sses on before I picked up the pink cocktail he made earlier. I took a sip of it. It was delicious. Iy down. The sky was so blue. Sometimes peoplepared it to my eyes, and the heterochromia in my left eye called it the dark clouds. I used to call it a w, but I learned to embrace my ws because no one was perfect. Then a shadow just blocked the sun. ¡°You don¡¯t trust me.¡± ¡°I do.¡± I got up and realized I¡¯d been ogling at the tattoos covering his left shoulder to his arm and on his right abs. I was right. Those muscles and abs looked smooth yet hard, making my fingertips itch. ¡°I know you will catch me, but I¡¯m not ready to get wet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re scared?¡± He sat next to me in the empty chair. ¡°Of course I am.¡± ¡°Thanks for your honesty.¡± I grabbed my phone beside me and took a selfie, then I moved to his side and took another shot. ¡°You could just ask me.¡± ¡°You look cute.¡± I looked at the picture I had taken. He looked even hotter in a stolen shot that emphasized his jaw, nose, and thickshes that I now envied. ¡°Cute? Thanks.¡± When he was not looking, I quickly sent the picture to Quinn. ESTELLE: Look up Gabriel Linden. I watched the message appear Sent. Chapter 5 LINDEN Estelle agreed to a boat ride but didn¡¯t want to swim. She was already wearing a skimpy tiny yellow two-piece that barely covered those goods. And she had an ass that was made to be gripped hard.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . When I agreed to find her, I knew I would be in trouble, but Moses was like my second father, and he never treated me differently despite how wealthy and powerful he was. And even if I wanted to retreat, it was toote, and I was not the kind of man who left unfinished jobs to others. I¡¯d never had a hard-on watching women in swimsuits, but Estelle had this effect on me that I could no longer ignore. And her skin is so soft and smooth against my palm. I¡¯d touched a lot of women¡¯s skin, but something different, when I touched her, it sent jolts of electricity in my spine, rushing in my balls. I faltered and jumped into the water, knowing it was cold, freezing my ass, and she just watched me from the boat. For the past few months, I managed to hide my desires, control my need, and even my jealousy over my brothers, who were all in a life of stability with the women they loved, and the kids they adored. I had just turned thirty and was still single. My brothers thought I had no n to have my own family. What they didn¡¯t know was how hard it was for me to watch them so fucking happy it broke my heart sometimes. Then there came the job that I fucking loved and enjoyed. I forgot what life was outside the office sometimes and the feeling of a warm body in my bed. I was a man with need and renowned for my skill of fucking. I had one-night stands for years and took women to hotel rooms, but I never spent overnight. Sometimes women got downright stupid after a few orgasms because I was good in bed, but nothing felt like one of them was to stick with me. Now that I was sessful in my line of business, I was still living alone in my house. And sometimes, it was lonely. ¡°This is so good.¡± I ignored herpliment because even eating a stupid sandwich looked like an innuendo. Inviting her with me was a terrible idea, but I needed her to trust me, and I wanted to see her too. ¡°Gabriel.¡± She snapped her fingers to my face. ¡°Sorry.¡± I grabbed the watermelon cocktail. I inwardly chuckled as I pulled out the stupid umbre, reminding me of what Striker told me to do- to collect umbres. I drank the cocktail. And it actually was good. ¡°You okay? Did I bore you already?¡± I looked at her. ¡°Is not one of them.¡± She picked another slice of sandwich and took a big bite with a nod. ¡°You should open a restaurant.¡± I smiled. ¡°Sweetheart said the same thing.¡± ¡°Sweetheart?¡± There was a prompt slight wrinkle between her eyebrows. ¡°My best friend¡¯s wife, London. I call her sweetheart.¡± ¡°Oh. Is her husband okay with you calling his wife sweetheart?¡± ¡°Yeah. London is like a baby sister to me.¡± ¡°Howe you are not married? You don¡¯t believe in marriage?¡± I stared at her. She knew I didn¡¯t have someone at home, and she was about to be Mrs. Weston. I wondered if she also believed in marriage. ¡°Do you?¡± ¡°Yes. If I love him and he proposes, yes.¡± ¡°I had a girlfriend once. I thought she was the one. When I came back from the tour, she told me she was pregnant, not mine but with another man from my batch.¡± ¡°Ouch. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know it would be a touchy subject.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It was ages ago.¡± Iy back. The sun was bright, and the sky was clear. It was a beautiful day, it might as well be a romantic getaway with a gorgeous brte, but I kept reminding myself that this was a job. ¡°So, tell me about this guy?¡± ¡°This guy?¡± ¡°Your father handpicked for you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s an ass, conceited, controlling. He looks like he can win in Congress in front of many people. He could be a perfect husband years ago, but I went on a date with him once, and he thought he already owned me. That was why I refused the idea of being his wife. I¡¯m capable of finding my own husband, and I can live without a man in life, for God¡¯s sake. Why it has to be a big deal when I have a stable career?¡± She turned to me. ¡°Do you think I need a man in life?¡± ¡°You asked the wrong person, woman.¡± She cracked a free and richugh, and she looked more beautiful when she smiled andughed so freely. ¡°No one called me a woman before.¡± ¡°Then you had been in the wrong crowd, Estelle.¡± ¡°What was it like to be in your crowd, Gabriel?¡± She mused. Her eyes went into contemtion as she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip, nibbling at it, and it was sexy as fuck. ¡°And no one calls me Gabriel.¡± I suddenly missed Wi. I should call her once the job was done with this job. ¡°Well, we¡¯re like a big extended family. We had this taco Saturday, and we either met at my best friend¡¯s house or his father¡¯s.¡± ¡°Tacos Saturday, huh?¡± She was amused. ¡°Yeah. It was London¡¯s idea. No matter how busy we are, we always find our way to be there. I wouldn¡¯t be where I am today without my brothers. So we¡¯re one big family. Maybe you shoulde with me sometime.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea. They¡¯re your family, and I¡¯m a stranger.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a stranger to me anymore, Estelle.¡± I looked at her directly in the eye. ¡°I like your eyes.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± She smiled timidly before standing up, going to the dock, and dropping her robe. I still couldn¡¯t help but look at her round ass. She was perfect in my eyes and no way in hell I would allow her to marry that asshole. ¡°Fuck.¡± She just jumped into the water. Shit! I forgot to tell you the water was cold. ¡°Oh, my God! Gabriel!¡± ¡°So you can swim?¡± I stared at her from the dock in surprise. ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you I can swim? And you didn¡¯t mention the water is freezing cold, you, son of-¡± ¡°Jaymes.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Son of Jaymes.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m used to swimming in cold water. Sorry, I forgot to tell you.¡± I picked up her robe. ¡°Maybe you shoulde up before you freeze your gorgeous ass.¡± Now she was ring at me. ¡°You looked at my ass?¡± ¡°Hard not to.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Just being honest.¡± Instead ofing closer, she swam away and did backstrokes. She could really swim. I watched her while enjoying the water. A few minutester, she came to me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you join me?¡± ¡°I enjoyed watching you, and I have to make sure you¡¯re not swimming with a shark.¡± Her eyes grew bigger. ¡°There¡¯s a shark in here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± I helped her up and offered her the robe. ¡°But I better be cautious, or I would end up in a million-dorwsuit from your father for endangering the heiress and fiancee of an asshole.¡± She scoffed. ¡°My father would dly sue your ass, but this is my life and my choice.¡± I followed her inside the boat to offer her a towel. When she stopped and turned around, so many questions were brewing in her eyes. ¡°Why me, Gabriel? Why am I here with you? We¡¯re in one of the most romantic ces in Italy, on a romantic getaway, yet you never touched me or initiated a kiss? What do you want? Who really are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just being a gentleman and could use a goodpany.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. We had dinner together, and I could see that you were not dumb the first time we met,¡± she challenges me. ¡°I came with you and wasn¡¯t nning to go back untouched. Your restraints may be admirable at other times, but it begins to annoy me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not good for you,¡± I spoke softly enough to hear correctly. ¡°For God¡¯s sake, you¡¯re not gonna marry me tomorrow.¡± Fire med in her eyes as she gritted out thece of anger in her words. ¡°That¡¯s the whole point.¡± She was clearly attracted to me, which pissed me off, and I was furious with our situation. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for a one-night stand or hookups anymore. I¡¯m getting bored of being alone. I want a wife, but clearly, you are unavable for that position.¡± ¡°Just one time before you and I get married to other persons-¡± ¡°I¡¯d never crossed a line- Fuck-¡± Before she could finish her words, I was already cupping her small face and smashed my lips against hers. Chapter 6 ESTELLE A thrill ran through me. I thought I¡¯d be embarrassed and go home defeated, and there was a fat chance he¡¯d deny me, but it was a home run when Linden shut me up and smashed his lips against mine. My legs instantly went weak, my skin buzzing. It was highly unlikely I could pull a stunt like that. I¡¯d never done and said something so bold because mostly men came to me and flirted with me. Linden, on the other hand, was different, and it was luck that I wore him down on his no one-night stand rule. When he kissed me with urgency as if he¡¯d been dying to do it for hours, I kissed back with the same hunger, and he was the best kisser by far from the men I¡¯d kissed before. The subtle pull of the string of my top and the subtle move of his hand down back, clutching my butt as an invitation, made my skin burn with need. I lifted my leg and felt the growing and the raw need through his kiss. While our mouths were busy and our tongues fought for dominance, I slipped my hand into the band of his shorts and pulled it down his thigh, but he stopped me. Then his lips were gone, his quick breathing fanning my face. When I opened my eyes in confusion, he stared at me withser-like intensity. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked. His eyes red with lust and promises. I tipped my chin and murmured, ¡°Ask me again after giving me an org@*sm, and I¡¯m giving you the same answer.¡± ¡°Just wanna make sure-¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talkter.¡± He chuckled before he kissed me again. This time, he pulled the string off my bot*tom. A moan slipped through my throat when his hand found where I ached the most. A quiet groan of satisfaction rumbled from him as if he had found what he was searching for. I shuddered at how sensitive I was. One moment he lifted me, and the next, hey me on the small bed,pletely n@ked. I¡¯d never been shy about my body, and the way he looked at me right now, the appreciation and admiration in his eyes, built more of my confidence. ¡°Fu*ck. You¡¯re gorgeous.¡± He took his time to stroll his gaze over my body before he crawled to bed. He came on top of me, his elbow on the side, making sure he wouldn¡¯t crush me. Linden¡¯s body was perfect and pure muscle. He had a well-sculpted chest, firm biceps, and well-defined abs. He was hard everywhere, but his skin was soft and smooth, just a few dusts of hair on his chest. ¡°You¡¯re not so bad either.¡± I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him to kiss me. I sucked a shaky breath as he brushed his lips softly against mine and kissed me, almost feathery. The second I responded, the kiss became open-mouth, urgent, and I felt his tongue touch against mine, our teeth shing. For a man I had just met, it was so intoxicating how he knew what to do with my body. ¡­ ¡°Sorry.¡± I bit my bottom lip. I couldn¡¯t even see the look in his eyes. ¡°For what?¡± He came to me and cupped my face. ¡°Look at me, Estelle. What¡¯s wrong? Open your eyes for me.¡± I did as he said. ¡°Why did you apologize for something spectacr?¡± ¡°I just had an org@*sm in three seconds.¡± I shut my mouth close when his face turned into a full-blown smile. ¡°At least I did something right in my entire life.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Cocky bastard,¡± I said as I tried to grip my thighs. ¡°I¡¯m not done, Estelle. We barely started.¡± His eyes red in my defiance as he pulled his shorts down, wrapped his arms around me, and rolled us over. ¡°Great.¡± ¡°Take the lead, boss.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the boss?¡± I giggled. I didn¡¯t know why. ¡°You are my boss.¡± ¡°I want you now. No more talking.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± he replied, beaming. ¡­ I wanted him before and would always want him tomorrow, but he could be gone once we head back to the ind, and I might not see him again. Pushing that thought out of my head, I tightened my legs around him. ¡°Gabriel.¡± I groaned. My chest heaved. My hands were faster as I buried them in his thick hair, and my mouth was eager to kiss him so hard that I couldn¡¯t hold on anymore, even if I wanted to. Chapter 7 LINDEN I just had the best sex in my life. Now that she got what she wanted, I expected her to get up and wear back her robe and pretend it never happened, but it didn¡¯t happen. Estelle stayed in my arms, ced her hand over mine, and seemingly checked how big my hand was. ¡°We didn¡¯t use a condom.¡± The moment the word condom came out of her mouth, I froze and felt a cold bucket of water thrown over my face. And I honestly didn¡¯t have one. I swallowed hard. ¡°Shit. Fuck. I forgot. I swear I¡¯m always responsible and never slept around without condoms. I guess I was too caught up in our moments, but I promise I¡¯m clean. I¡¯ll show you my test. And I just had it three weeks ago. It¡¯s random for us to get tested as part of physical-¡± ¡°Wow.¡± I snorted. ¡°You have more than ten sentences when it¡¯s also my fault. I never had anyone in two years. Just so you know, I¡¯m still on pills.¡± Oh, thank fuck.I let go of a sigh of relief as I straightened my spine. ¡°Why?¡± My query had her back stiffened. ¡°Why what?¡± I could feel her eyes narrowing as a deep rumble came from her chest. ¡°Why am I on pills or under dry spells in two years?¡± ¡°Thetter.¡± I braced myself, waiting for her answer. ¡°Well, my dating app is idled. I have more important things to do than snatch, guys. I love making people happy and seeing my team¡¯s and employees¡¯ faces every day. I guess I enjoy making money too much. Lately, it¡¯s also hard to go out there without my bodyguard tailing around, and sometimes guys get intimidated by my status. For a while, I¡¯m okay without a man.¡± ¡°I guess we have a lot inmon then. What¡¯s next for you?¡± I nted kisses on the back of her neck, to her shoulder. She shivered. She let go of broken breaths every time my lips touched her skin. Lust skyrocketed in my body. I was hard again. ¡°You, what¡¯s next for you? When we go back to the ind, are you going to send me to the vi I rented or just say thanks for today? It was fun.¡± ¡°Which one do you want, Estelle? The first or thetter?¡± I asked, tracing my fingers on the soft skin of her arm. ¡°It¡¯s your choice, Gabriel.¡± ¡°But you still have that asshole waiting for your return.¡± I ignored the little twist in my belly. ¡°No asshole waiting for my return. I¡¯d rather stay single for the rest of my life than have him as my husband, knowing I wouldn¡¯t be happy and free.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stay in hiding for the rest of your life. You still have to face your issue with your father.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She kissed the palm of my hand. ¡°Can we stop talking about them while I am naked in your bed on a beautiful ind?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I pulled her closer to me and wrapped her in my arms. ¡°I really want to see you again, but I¡¯ll take what you can give.¡± I kissed her neck again, snaking my hand into her voluptuous tit, cupping it, and rolling the tiny bud between my fingers. Estelle had really gorgeous tits- mouthwatering. ¡°I want you, Gabriel.¡± She did that sound again, which was my favorite from now on. She didn¡¯t have to say it twice. I would take her anyway if she let me. ¡°You can have me however you want, Estelle.¡± Then I slid my free hand between her thighs, and I found her wet and ripe, and I was already hard rock, poking against her ass. ¡°Are you always this ready and wet for me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re irresistible.¡± ¡°You could say I¡¯m hot, Estelle.¡± I let her lie on her back and came on top of her. We kissed again. As I slipped my finger inside her, I moved circles with my thumb, and she moved her hips to my rhythm. I loved how responsive she was and how eager she was for me. ¡°I think I gave you too manypliments already.¡± She moaned in her dreamy voice. I added another digit. Even if she was ready for me, I finger-fucked her, and she started clenching around my fingers. My hand was coated with her wetness. ¡°I¡¯m going toe! Yes, yes, yes. Don¡¯t stop.¡± When she mped around my fingers, I knew she was close. ¡°Come around my fingers.¡± I quickened my thrust and slipped my tongue into her mouth. I could hear the sound of her soaking pussy, and my dick throbbed to feel her again. She stilled in just a few seconds, eyes rolling behind her head as she came around my fingers. ¡°Fuck. You¡¯re more beautiful when youe.¡± I licked her lips, causing her to giggle as she opened her eyes for me. She looked cute when she did that, all rosy cheeks and satisfied. I pulled out my fingers, shoved them into my mouth, and licked them clean. There was a surprised look in her eyes. When I leaned in to kiss her, she let me and opened her mouth to taste herself. An insane swell of lust rushed through my cock. It was fucking hot I almost came for her. When I stroked myself, she knew what was toe next. She spread her legs for me, and I was inside her in a single thrust. She gasped. ¡°I can¡¯t take it slow.¡± I hissed. I felt her squeezing me. I was on the verge of losing my shit when she said something that fueled my impending orgasm. ¡°Don¡¯t. Do as you please. You can be rough. I can take it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna wear you down.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what I want. I want to remember this for the rest of my life, and I want to remind myself what fucking is all about.¡± I stilled. ¡°So this is a goodbye, then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your choice, Gabriel Linden. I told you already.¡± She caged my face with her little slender hands and kissed me quickly. My heart lurched, knowing she liked to be with me, but at the same time, I already broke the greatest rule in my job. What else was there to break? I was maybe an asshole, but this had never happened before, and I did that in a heartbeat because this woman talked sense to me. Right now, it felt just right. We fit right as one. It felt like we were made for each other, as insane as it may sound. I looked down at us, connected-I was in deep. When she pushed her hips, it was staggeringly erotic, and her tits- God, her tits. They were God¡¯s gift. They were gorgeous- not small, not too big, just perfect for my hands. I pressed my lips against hers for a quick kiss before I pulled out and thrust back with enough force sharp burst of air wafted against my face. Our gazes met. Locked. Something strange shadowed passed over her face, but I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on it. Then I fucked her as she wished. I thrust faster. Harder. Her hips flexed counter to my moves- an erotic dance synchronously. She became a part of me. ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± Her pleads fueled me more, hitting her deep. ¡°I¡¯ll get you there. Trust me.¡± I thrust so deep, and she grounded into me, seeking release. ¡°I trust you.¡± Her words were so powerfully sent current through me that they hit me hard in my chest. It was clear to me that I couldn¡¯t have her, but it only made me obsessed with wanting her even more. ¡°Gabriel!¡± ¡°I know, Estelle. Give it to me.¡± I fucked her hard. Groaning, our entire bodies locked tight. I felt her grip around my cock as she came hard. ¡°Jesus, Estelle!¡± Pleasure shocked and exploded through me, causing me to buck harder. My entire body shuddered. My orgasm forced out, dizzying me. For the second time, we didn¡¯t use condoms. Shit. *** I didn¡¯t want to end whatever we had just yet, but I had a job, and she had a lot going on.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Careful.¡± I assisted her in stepping down the dock. Before I could let her hand go, she gripped it tightly. That was when I realized we were not alone. Quinn Hunter was just waiting for us. I didn¡¯t know how, but maybe he traced the panic button Estelle had or her phone. ¡°Linden, this is my bodyguard Quinn Hunter. Quinn, Linden, my boat ride partner.¡± ¡°Mr. Linden.¡± He offered his hand, but I sensed something in him, the way he looked at me and back to Estelle standing beside me. ¡°Hunter,¡± I addressed him as we CPO did before I shook his hand. ¡°What are you doing here? How did- never mind.¡± She took her bag from me and gave it to Hunter. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting in the car, ma¡¯am.¡± Once Hunter was gone, I didn¡¯t know what to do since someone already picked her up, and our arrangements didn¡¯t stand anymore. ¡°So?¡± she asked. ¡°How long has he been working for you?¡± ¡°Three years. Why?¡± ¡°Do you know he¡¯s in love with you?¡± She stared at me for a moment before sheughed, but she feltpelled to exin. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. He was like my brother, my friend.¡± ¡°Is it, though? You¡¯re beautiful, sexy, and fucking hot. You¡¯re kind to him. And it¡¯s not hard not to fall for a client, especially when you treat him right, and you¡¯ve been single for two years.¡± She shook her head. Her brows drew inward. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have no idea.¡± ¡°Because you don¡¯t feel the same way, and he certainly knows how to hide his feelings for you.¡± ¡°Thanks for telling me, but you¡¯re wrong. When can I see you again?¡± ¡°You wanna see me again?¡± Surprised, I closed the space between us and cupped her face. ¡°Do you?¡± ¡°You have to-¡± ¡°I know.¡± I leaned in to kiss her lips, and she kissed me back. It was short and sweet, but it still hit me hard. ¡°Give me your phone.¡± I took my phone out of my pocket, unlocked it, and gave it to her. Once she saved her number on my phone, she gave it back. ¡°I won¡¯t get your number, but if you wanna see me again, you know what to do. I hope to taste your cooking, Gabriel Linden.¡± Chapter 8 ESTELLE I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that the man sitting next to me had been in love with me. If what Linden said was true, then I was not that observant of the people around me. The Jeep drove smoothly to the main road, and Quinn hadn¡¯t said a word since I got into the passenger seat, but I could feel he ¡°You know him, don¡¯t you?¡± I turned my head to him. ¡°We¡¯ll talk in the vi,¡± he said calmly. I thought so. ¡°I wanna know who he is, Quinn.¡± ¡°You will.¡± His focus remained on the road. The vi wasn¡¯t far, so I patiently waited until he dropped the bomb on me. ¡°Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s old for you?¡± ¡°Judgy, aren¡¯t we?¡± I raised an eyebrow. He was probably right. I didn¡¯t care. ¡°It was just a boat ride with a friend. Nothing more.¡± ¡°I saw how you looked at him and kissed him, so there¡¯s definitely a second date.¡± I drew a deep breath. ¡°He¡¯s maybe thirty-two or thirty-three.¡± ¡°Thirty. From what I heard, he¡¯s quite ady¡¯s man.¡± Suddenly his phone vibrated. ¡°Hold on a sec. This call is maybe from Brodan.¡± When he answered the call, I picked up my phone and went to Instagram. I searched for Gabriel Linden. Before I could click the profile, Quinn stopped me. ¡°You can¡¯t know the person by his Instagram or X posts. Before things get serious between you two, think about the reason why we are here, Estelle. And I don¡¯t think your father will be thrilled to know-¡± ¡°That I¡¯m sleeping with a contractor? I¡¯m an adult, and I can decide who I want to sleep with, even choose a man to marry. He won¡¯t, and no one can dictate my life. This is my body, my soul, my life, and I do as I please. If anyone can¡¯t ept my decision about how I live my life, then they can go to hell. If I fail, at least I try.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He pulled up in front of the vi. ¡°I need a shower,¡± I told Quinn before entering my room and stripping off my clothes. I could still see the wetness in my panties. I grimaced at my boldness and recklessness. I stepped into the shower room and felt the soreness between my legs and muscles- a reminder of what we did in the boat. My body instantly craved him, his touch, and his lips against my skin. I felt the instant ache between my thighs but tried to suppress it. I turned the shower on. The warm water soothed my aching muscles. Once I was done, I wrapped the towel around my body and found my bag on the bed. I quickly put my pajamas on and dried my hair. A soft knock on the door interrupted me. ¡°Come in.¡± Quinn walked in. ¡°Can we talk?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I faced him. He showed me the picture on his phone. It was my father and a man talking on the golf course. I swallowed hard. I felt a knot in my stomach the moment I instantly recognized that stance, the figure, the height, the hair, and he was wearing a dark Italian blue suit. It became clear to me that they knew each other. He knew me before we met. The question was why he didn¡¯t tell me he knew me. Why he pretended he didn¡¯t know me? ¡°Is that a real picture?¡± I didn¡¯t have to ask. I knew real and manipted ones. ¡°Taken two weeks ago.¡± ¡°What did they talk about?¡± I asked, waiting for the uneasiness telling me I screwed up. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. What did he tell you exactly? About himself. Do you think he lied or hid something intentionally?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He likes to cook. He works in a private military contractorpany.¡± ¡°Clearly, Gabe Linden missed telling you the vital detail of his work.¡± Quinn scoffed. ¡°He runs Osmium Resource Group with a half-a-billion-dor contract, Estelle. He started thatpany, The Firm, years ago from the ground. He¡¯s kinda a legend, a respected man, and sets a pretty high bar in security agencies. What doesn¡¯t add up, though, is why he didn¡¯t recognize you. Or why he pretended not to know you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Quinn.¡± My answer came out defensive. I could feel my skin burning, my blood boiling with anger. What was his intention? I thought Linden was a good man, and what we had was real. I felt it was real. Or so I thought. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Estelle.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. I did it to myself. I don¡¯t think my father hired him. I mean, he runs thepany. Why would hee and barge into my boring life and gain my trust? Why hasn¡¯t he called my father? Because I am sure, Dad is here right now the moment he found me.¡± ¡°Mr. Linden is also close with Moses Braddson. I heard the reason why he got the deal with the Hover and other military contracts because of Striker Cade.¡± ¡°Moses Braddson? The aircraft ma? The Hover?¡± I asked in disbelief. ¡°Braddson¡¯s son, Striker Cade, is his best friend.¡± And London? The sweetheart. God, I wanted to hit my head against the wall. ¡°London Vanderford¡¯s husband.¡± ¡°Yes. Do you remember the kidnapping? They rescued her.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I sighed. Apparently, hearing the truth took all my strength. I wanted to p myself so hard. Gabriel Linden was almost perfect. That should be a red g. I thought I was just lucky to bump into someone like him. It was all but a setup. ¡°Did he say something else?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t do much talking, Quinn. But one thing that shocked me more was when he said you¡¯re in love with me.¡± I watched his eyes grow big. His face nched. He swallowed hard and was about to say something but shut his mouth close. ¡°You¡¯re-¡± ¡°He¡¯s wrong.¡± He swallowed hard again. ¡°He¡¯s lying, Estelle. I have a moral code. Yeah, I care about you because you¡¯ve treated me like a friend than your employee. You make my job easier-¡± ¡°So you¡¯re also going to lie to me? I just saw how you reacted, Quinn. Everyone is lying to me, and I expect thest person to lie to my face, are you? I trust you with my life. That¡¯s why we are still here together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a useless feeling, Estelle. You¡¯re my client. That¡¯s what¡¯s always gonna be. I will always protect you with my life, even if you are not my client anymore. But you and I are impossible. You¡¯re beautiful. You¡¯re a star and unreachable. There¡¯s no way you¡¯d feel the same way for me. I¡¯ve been in love with you for almost two years, and you didn¡¯t even know it.¡± I rose to my feet, feeling guilty. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Quinn.¡± He smiled sadly. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I was stupid. I should have-¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Quinn. I hope you won¡¯t make it awkward between us. You also mean a lot to me. You¡¯re my best friend, my big brother.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± He grimaced. ¡°Come here.¡± I opened my arms for a hug. We both needed it. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Estelle. I wish he didn¡¯t tell you that.¡± He wrapped his arms around me instead. ¡°Thanks for telling me, anyway,¡± I said as we pulled apart. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t wanna lie to you. So what¡¯s your n?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see him again and won¡¯t tell him what I know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a smart n.¡± He shook his head in disagreement. ¡°In fact, that¡¯s the worse idea.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± I pressed. ¡°I want to know how far he will lie to me.¡± ¡°You know a rtionship starts with a lie that doesn¡¯tst long.¡± ¡°What made you think that there¡¯s a rtionship?¡± ¡°You¡¯re smitten the night you went home. You like this guy, Estelle. You even went on a boat ride with him, not knowing who really he was. And tonight, you¡¯re glowing until I told you who he is.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s all. He lied to me.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Or maybe he has reasons.¡± ¡°Which team are you, Quinn?¡± I snarled, beginning to get annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m sure he has reasons. He wouldn¡¯t juste here to find you. Maybe he¡¯s here on vacation and has to lie because your father once approached him. I mean, he could havee to you weeks ago. Why now? Maybe he just didn¡¯t want it to get into your head that he recognized you. And to be honest, I¡¯d rather you date him than marry an asshole like yton Weston. He¡¯s a little bit ordered, though.¡± ¡°Get out.¡± I rolled my eyes. He justughed before he went towards the door and paused. ¡°You¡¯re going to meet him, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If he calls.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t give you his number?¡± ¡°You know what he said? He¡¯s done gavanting. He isn¡¯t looking for a one-night stand. Since he knows my father wants me to marry the jerk, I doubt if he calls me.¡± It hurt to admit that I like Linden very much despite how he lied to my face, and it also hurt knowing that he wanted nothing from me. ¡°Well, maybe you two are just perfect.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He wants more than a girlfriend, and you¡¯re running away from your future husband.¡± ¡°So you want me to date him even if he lied?¡± He shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Ask him why he lied. Jesus, Estelle. If you¡¯re so interested in this man. You¡¯re tenacious, strong-willed. Go after him if you like him so much. Prove to your father that you can have a sensible husband without him serving you on a silver tter.¡± ¡°You can get his number, right? If he won¡¯t call me tomorrow or the next day.¡± He tsked and shook his head. ¡°You sound desperate.¡± ¡°I am, Quinn. I wanna get rid of this arrangement.¡± He may be my bodyguard, but he didn¡¯t know the whole story. ¡°Think where he would be tomorrow. Pretend that it¡¯s an ident.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go find him tomorrow.¡± Chapter 9 LINDEN ¡°Where the fuck are you?¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. I cringed at the voice of Sax yelling from the other line. I just woke up because my phone kept ringing, and now the first thing I heard was his voice cursing me. ¡°Why should I tell you, asshole? You woke me up just to yell at me. Who are you? My mother?¡± ¡°Sorry, bro. I thought you were already up. It¡¯s eight in the morning.¡± His voice calmed down. Since the Firm became Osmium, he and Kye resigned as Adley¡¯s details, and Osmium wouldn¡¯t beplete without my brothers. Although Sax and Kye wanted some adventures and were bored protecting clients, I had trust in them that they could handle themselves, so they led Team Phoenix and Hydra. ¡°What do you want?¡± I got up from the bed, suddenly feeling empty. I already missed the soft and warm Estelle¡¯s body, but I chose to ignore that longingness that it was impossible to fill. ¡°Well, we just came back from the assignment. It was sessful, by the way. Then your office is empty except for Padi.¡± Sax always annoyed my new assistant, who was half-Filipino, half-American, and he mispronounced her name Padee-ya pissed her off. ¡°It¡¯s Padi, dickhead.¡± I heard Hope yelling in the background, making me chuckle. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll call you however I want,¡± he said to Hope. ¡°Well, how about I call you putot?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Like you,¡± Hope replied. ¡°And you should grow some hair.¡± ¡°For God¡¯s sake, Sax. Leave her alone. I need her. She¡¯s good at what she does, and if you keep bothering her, I will ban you from that building. You haven¡¯t told me the purpose for this call, Ryder.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± He sound offended. ¡°You¡¯re choosing her over your brother?¡± ¡°When my brother happens to be an asshole who doesn¡¯t know how to treat ady right, then yes. Why are you calling me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re grumpier. You need to getid, man. Your biological clock is running out. You¡¯ve been working your ass off for years, andtely, I haven¡¯t seen you going out and having fun. You know, the kind of fun you used to do.¡± ¡°Biological clock? Seriously? And you¡¯re giving me advice now?¡± ¡°I love you, bro. Anyway, are you home? I wanna see you. I miss you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t miss you, and I¡¯m not home.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°ssified.¡± ¡°Really? Since when?¡± Heughed out loud. Unbelievable. ¡°Dessified then. You¡¯re not on assignment because that¡¯s impossible. You¡¯re the big boss here, brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be home soon. Now if you have nothing important to say, I need caffeine. Just report to Jasper or tell my assistant if it¡¯s not urgent.¡± ¡°Okay, brother. But seriously, though. You need to have fun, loosen up, and get-¡± ¡°Fuck off.¡± I hang up the call. After I showered, I went to my favorite coffee shop and bought the usual. I woke upte, and that never happened. I went to the beach, expecting to bump into Estelle, but I ended up disappointed. I was torn between calling and inviting Estelle for dinner, but what was the purpose? She was already arranged with someone else. I didn¡¯t think Gustav would appreciate me snatching his daughter from the aisle and his grand n. I would not deny that I liked Estelle. I really liked her like I never liked anyone. She was special, beautiful, kind, and extraordinaire, but she was not for me. I couldn¡¯t see that asshole deserved her, but so did I. I just wished she wouldn¡¯t jump into marrying someone like yton Weston. I dialed Kye. He picked up immediately as if waiting for someone¡¯s call. ¡°Boss?¡± ¡°I need you to dig into someone.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s true then. You¡¯re in your rendezvous.¡± ¡°Jesus.¡± ¡°News travel fast, brother. Just tell me the name.¡± ¡°I want thorough, and don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°Consider it done.¡± ¡°yton Weston.¡± ¡°Weston? The Yacht Builder.¡± Of course, it always had to be mentioned. ¡°Yes. The son.¡± I wanted to roll my eyes. ¡°May I know what¡¯s this all about?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll keep you informed. See you soon, brother.¡± I went back to my hotel, defeated, and worked on myptop all day. I was still tempted to call Estelle. I missed her, if I was being honest. I could still feel the w marks on my back, her breathing in my ear, and those tiny moans she made. I could still feel being inside her. I had tons of sexual encounters with women, but something about us felt different. We had this requited warm that didn¡¯t need so much talking- as if we understood what we wanted, and it was rare to have that kind of connection with someone. At night, I went to the bar, hoping to get drunk. I just wanted to get her out of my head for a while thenter on, I would face the consequences of my actions. The bar was crowded and noisier than thest time. A band yed a ssic rock song from Dad¡¯s favorite rock band. ¡°Bourbon. Neat, please.¡± The bartender seemed to recognize me. ¡°Neat it is.¡± He was preparing my drinks when I heard augh- that distinctugh that I would never forget. When I turned to my left- there she was, so fucking gorgeous in a tiny ck cocktail dress. She hadn¡¯t seen me yet. My jaw locked tight, wanting to rip off the arm around her waist. Then the tattoo looked so familiar. Son of a bitch. ¡°That¡¯s-¡± ¡°Siciliano.¡± Motherfucker. What the fuck is he doing here?With Estelle. I groaned louder, rising from the stool and making my way to them. Quinn saw me first, tipping his chin to Estelle. The element of surprise was gone. She saw me before I could get closer, and so as the son of a bitch Terzo. ¡°Look who¡¯s lost?¡± Terzo showed his signature cocky smirk with arms wide open. ¡°Gabe Linden in the house.¡± He pulled me into a hug. Even if he was a murderer and God knows what other crimes hemitted, he had a code when it came to family, and he never broke promises. I was still grateful for what he did to London and her father. ¡°Siciliano, good to see yoe, man.¡± I had to show him some respect. Not everyone could choose to be born into a certain family. He respected his father, and so did I. He valued his family, and so did I. ¡°This is Gabe,¡± he introduced me then he realized that the two were not surprised. ¡°So you¡¯ve met my friend from the States.¡± ¡°Linden.¡± Quinn shook my hand firmly. ¡°Gabriel.¡± Estelle smiled. For a moment, I thought something strange had passed over her eyes. I swore it almost looked like a bit of surprise and excitement in her eyes. ¡°Good to see you again.¡± I leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. ¡°Do you?¡± Her smile faded-something in those words that had a deeper meaning than what it meant to be. ¡°Drinks on me,¡± Terzo announced. ¡°Thanks, man,¡± Quinn said. ¡°Siciliano,¡± I called him, and I turned to Estelle. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°I hope so, Gabriel. Don¡¯t waste the free drinks from Terzo.¡± I walked past the crowd towards the door. ¡°What¡¯s up, Linden?¡± Terzo was following me out of the bar. I stopped when I was in front of the vehicle I rented and grabbed Terzo in front of his shirt, and mmed him against the Jeep. ¡°What the fuck, man?¡± Hands up, he chuckled, even if he was already assaulted. What a dick. ¡°What the fuck are you doing with Estelle?¡± He sighed exaggeratedly and smirked. ¡°Why is it that the Braddson family always takes every beautiful woman I want?¡± ¡°Tell me now, Siciliano?¡± ¡°Or what?¡± His challenge was only to piss me off. I couldn¡¯t see the deadly counter in his eyes. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I released him. At the corner of my eye, I saw three of his men. He smoothened his shirt and gestured to his men. ¡°Just having a drink, like you, and this is Italy if you have forgotten where you are.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t me look dumb, Siciliano? You don¡¯t go to this low-end bar. You have your own nightclub. Did my boss ask you to check on me?¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± He beamed. ¡°Seriously?¡± I sounded offended. ¡°Something is going on between you and the blue-eyed prettydy?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my assignment,¡± I replied nkly. ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask my boss?¡± I asked firmly. ¡°I do as he asked, man. And no talking when it quickly reflected in my bank ount.¡± ¡°Asshole,¡± I grunted, my jaw still clenching. ¡°Business is business.¡± ¡°What did he exactly ask you to do?¡± ¡°Keep an eye on her. That¡¯s all. I know you¡¯de. He said you¡¯re here. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t give me a call, Linden. I can always arrange a good amodation for you, unless.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m under a low profile.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ying with fire. I noticed how she looked at you.¡± ¡°She¡¯s to be married, Siciliano.¡± I had already prepared myself for the stab of turmoil in my chest, but it still hurt. ¡°Too bad. You two would look clingy and cringy good together. How¡¯s Segnora?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy for them. I saw London once. She looked cute with a baby bump.¡± ¡°Yeah, she is.¡± ¡°By the way, keep an eye on her bodyguard. He went back to work, and there¡¯s always a catch when he was AWOL for weeks, all of a sudden, hispany just took him back without repercussions?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Your papa number 2.¡± He was referring to Moses. ¡°Hunter will bring your girl back home by the end of this month.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± I groaned louder than necessary. ¡°Yeah. We should get inside.¡± ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± I stayed out for a couple of minutes to calm myself. I took a few breaths before I turned around, only to almost bump into Estelle. Shit. Chapter 10 ESTELLE ¡°So, you really don¡¯t have a n to meet again? I guess this encounter is an ident.¡± I wanted to say I miss him. I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck, cling to and kiss him hard. I saw in his eyes too. We wanted the same thing, but I couldn¡¯t understand his restraint. ¡°We should get inside.¡± ¡°Or go somewhere else?¡± I suggested. My desperation just got out of my hand. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the best idea.¡± He didn¡¯t even try hard to hide his hesitation. ¡°Why? Since when?¡± My head tipped to the side as I cocked my eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m single, and you are too. You didn¡¯t mind it yesterday.¡± ¡°That was a mistake, Estelle.¡± ¡°Why? Tell me why? And I will forget everything that happened between us.¡± He swallowed hard. He looked hurt. Why? Because he¡¯d been lying to me? Why did he care? Wasn¡¯t it a part of his job to lie and y in deceit? ¡°What is it that you can¡¯t take the leap.¡± ¡°I told you, Estelle. I¡¯m done with flings. And you deserve-¡± ¡°If I hear that shit one more time, I swear to God I¡¯m going to punch your face.¡± ¡°Do it.¡± The moment those two words came out, something snapped in my head. And I did. I did punch him, and it hurt like hell. ¡°Oh, God!¡± I eximed and shook my hand to the excruciating pain around my knuckles. ¡°Are you some kind of a terminator?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± He just rubbed the spot I punched him. That¡¯s it, as if a fly just stuck him. He held my hand and inspected it. ¡°Can you sp and unsp it? ¡°Why do you care?¡± ¡°I was not sure you would punch me.¡± He looked amused while I was wincing in pain. ¡°You have to put ice on it. You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t break a bone.¡± ¡°No shit, Gabriel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, Estelle. Let¡¯s get you an ice,¡± he said as he put his hand on my back. ¡°I¡¯m going home tomorrow.¡± ¡°What?¡± He halted and met me in the eye. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired of hiding. I realized that¡¯s not how I should face my personal issue. And shit-¡± ¡°Stop saying that.¡± ¡°What? Shit? Well, shi-¡± One moment I was talking, and the next thing I knew, strong arms wrapped around me and shut me up with a hard, savage kiss that took the air out of my lungs. I tried to push him away, but no way in hell I would win. He was hard all over, strong, and tall, and the kiss just melted me away. Every bone in my body wobbled. I surrendered to him. I kissed him back. He was starved, and I was desperate. We kissed like there was no tomorrow, like the lovers in Pompeii, the end of the world kind. When his tongue slipped into my mouth, I was undone. I moaned shamelessly. My hands grasped his shirt as I was scared that I might fall or the kiss would end abruptly. Then he kissed me hard before he let me go. I almost tripped, but he always caught me before I fell. ¡°Why?¡± Still, with that question. ¡°No one can dictate what I do. Even my own father. This is my life. I¡¯m an adult. I will live the way I want. I realized I live in a free country in the 21st century where women have rights. I have a say in everything concerning my life. So I¡¯m going home to face my father.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°What do you want me to say, Estelle?¡± He frowned. ¡°What¡¯s that kiss all about?¡± ¡°To stop you from saying shit and for punching me.¡± ¡°Would you ever call me if we didn¡¯t meet tonight?¡± He looked right into my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re honest with something.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± He hastened to ask, frown deepening. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Gabriel. The fact that you missed telling me that you own and run Osmium. And you knew my father before we bumped at the bar.¡± He looked away, clenching his jaw as if he wanted to say something. ¡°Did you know me before I introduced myself?¡± When he couldn¡¯t answer me, I felt like he just stabbed me in my chest. It hurt to see the truth. He was right, after all. Someone hid the truth because you couldn¡¯t handle knowing it. ¡°I was really looking forward to seeing you. I liked you, but maybe you made the right decision not to call me. You lied to me. We slept together, and I hadn¡¯t had fun in a long time. I thought what we had in that boat was real, but maybe I just felt it, and you didn¡¯t. I mean, we don¡¯t know each other. You¡¯re used to just sleeping around withoutmitment. I might be over-analyzing it, but I felt you felt the same. Or maybe this was just sex. I don¡¯t know.¡± I shrugged off, giving him a confident nod. When he still didn¡¯t say something, it was over. He would never admit I was his assignment, and he was here to lure me out or whatever he and my father agreed upon. ¡°Good night, Gabriel.¡± I still wanted him to stop me, but I just walked away, and he didn¡¯t even say a word or follow me. Damn it. ¡°I really hope you would stop me, but I guess we don¡¯t have the same intention.¡±Jeez, Estelle Rae. You sound so desperate. When I got back to Quinn, his brows met together with questions. I ignored him and snatched his drink. Though he had no ns to get himself drunk tonight, he also wanted to blend in. I dawned the bourbon, burning my throat, and grimaced after. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Quinn asked. ¡°Yeah, I kissed the devil, and I liked it.¡± He chucked. ¡°Do you wanna get out of here?¡± ¡°Yeah. Good idea.¡± I faced Terzo with nice tattoos. He looked dangerous but handsome with real red gs of a bad boy neon sign on his forehead. ¡°Thanks for the drinks. I had fun, Terzo. Buona notte.¡± ¡°Good night, signorina.¡± Linden was just right outside when Quinn assisted me. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± His question wasn¡¯t exactly directed at me. ¡°She¡¯s getting drunk. I have to send her home.¡± ¡°Let me.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°No,¡± I said firmly. ¡°Sorry, Linden. It¡¯s my job.¡± He subtly nodded before he went inside. Once we were in the Jeep, he fastened my seatbelt even though I wasn¡¯t drunk enough and could do it by myself. ¡°I take it didn¡¯t go well.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t admit. That jerk.¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°Calm down?¡± I growled and turned to him with an irritated expression. ¡°He lied to me. He lied to my face. I even said something to bait him, but he didn¡¯t bite it.¡± ¡°You let your feelings for him cloud your judgment.¡± ¡°Maybe you two should exchange recipes then.¡± I scowled and breathed through my nose. ¡°I should have known. That kind of guy, that kindness, that look? There¡¯s nothing real about it. All but red gs.¡± ¡°Not all, Estelle.¡± I groaned louder. It seemed that I was victimized because it was my fault. I wasn¡¯t a good judge of character. I quickly jumped into trusting him because he looked hot and gorgeous I couldn¡¯t even point out the truth from lies. He deceived me. I took my phone and searched for his name. To my surprise, he had his own Wikipedia. ¡°Well, shit.¡± I scoffed at the absurdity of our situation and that I never knew anything about him. Maybe he was just down-to-earth. ¡°He has several awards. I can¡¯t believe our paths never crossed before.¡± ¡°He was probably still protecting clients. Just recently, hispany acquired contracts, but I heard of him years ago.¡± ¡°He was featured in under 30 Forbes list and Time magazine.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± I red at Quinn. ¡°Really? You¡¯re impressed.¡± ¡°Yeah. He came from a humble beginning, Estelle.¡± ¡°Unlike me, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not bad yourself. Tell me, who are billionaire¡¯s self-made children?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a nepo. I can¡¯t deny that.¡± ¡°But you made your own name. You should give yourself some credit.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°So. We¡¯re going home?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I have nothing left to do here. I¡¯m done running. It¡¯s time to face the reality.¡± Chapter 11 LINDEN I went back to the hotel, distraught over something I¡¯d done right. I should have told her I was there to bring her home, but what was the point when she already blew my cover? She knew who I was, but my assignment. And she was going home anyway. Somehow, I still aplished my mission. But I lost something in the end- the chance and her trust. After I called Hope to confirm my itinerary the following day, I went down to Terzo waiting for me. He gave me an odd look the moment he saw my duffel. ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I got in the passenger¡¯s seat of his Maserati Ghibli. ¡°I left tons of work.¡± ¡°You should chill out sometime. You will never run out of work, but our time is not a guarantee.¡± ¡°Look at you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°How¡¯s your father, by the way?¡± ¡°He¡¯s doing great. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to enjoy before I take over the family business because once I¡¯m in that position, I have a lot of changes to do and might as well disappoint my father in the end.¡± ¡°For the better, I hope.¡± ¡°For the better of my family.¡± He quickly digressed. ¡°So, you can¡¯t stay even for a day?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m sending you to the airport?¡± He noticed the change of tone in my voice. ¡°Yeah, but first, let¡¯s head to this address.¡± I showed him the address on my phone Moses had sent to me. ¡°I know where it is.¡± I looked through the rearview and caught a ck SUV tailing us that I didn¡¯t see while we were leaving the hotel lobby. ¡°Yours?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry. No one will touch you while you¡¯re here in my territory, but you can¡¯t be too confident with your skills, Linden. You need to have your own bodyguard.¡± ¡°You sound just like my boss.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right. You¡¯re famous now. Never underestimate your value. Yourpetitors are not your friends. The richer you are, the more enemy you get.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a world of mafia, Siciliano.¡± ¡°I agree, but this world is cruel, and why do you think rich people hired people like you? Why do you have a sessfulpany? Because of threats. Anywhere you go, there¡¯s always a threat. Of all people, you should know that.¡± ¡°First, I¡¯m not rich. Second, I¡¯m not famous, but thanks. I¡¯ll take that under advisement.¡± ¡°Whatever you say, man, but if you need my assistance or someone to get their hands dirty, you know where to reach me. I¡¯m just a call away.¡± ¡°Appreciate it.¡± My mind went back to myst conversation with Estelle and that one desperate kiss.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°We¡¯re here. Do you want me to go check the parameters first?¡± He quickly jumped off the car as soon as he parked in front of the vi. ¡°Why?¡± I narrowed my eyes at Terzo. ¡°I can handle myself.¡± ¡°Let me guess. It¡¯s Estelle¡¯s?¡± ¡°You already knew. Why do you have to ask?¡± I got out of the car. Now I stood before the vi, and my mind went nk. ¡°I found her first. I knew the people around here who were hiding from who, running away from. I am the one who told Signor Braddson about her.¡± ¡°Well, shit. Thanks for the info.¡± ¡°You kissed her.¡± I didn¡¯t hide my displeasure much as I asked him firmly, ¡°Do you have any problem with that?¡± He smirked as he shook his head in amusement. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see one day Gabe Linden will be smitten by a blue-eyeddy. This is the best day of my life, man.¡± He pped my back before he went to the front gate. ¡°You¡¯re such an asshole.¡± ¡°What are you waiting for then?¡± I went to his side to ring the doorbell, hoping I wasn¡¯t toote or she hadn¡¯t flown back yet. The gate door opened, and ate teenager came out and asked me in Italian. His eyes widened to see the man standing next to me. ¡°Let me,¡± Terzo volunteered. I didn¡¯t insist since the teenager probably recognized him ording to his reaction. Terzo spoke to him in Italian. I only understood Signorina Sce. Estelle probably used an alias. ¡°That¡¯s her.¡± ¡°She used the name Rae Sce. Sounds like a Bond movie to me with a sexy Bond girl.¡± ¡°Is she here?¡± Terzo tranted to him and said a little more. When he shook his head, I felt thrown into the frozenke. I should havee herest night. ¡°He said they left early this morning.¡± ¡°That I understood. Thanks.¡± I went ahead of him to the car and inhaled a sharp breath. I¡¯d never felt so down. I never failed in any task besides thest tour when we were outnumbered. Bullets started flying, my brothers were shot, and another died in my arms. This felt like another big failure to me. Only this time, I let it because of my fucking code. Terzo came to the driver¡¯s seat and drove off silently. ¡°Just say it.¡± ¡°What?¡± he asked innocently. ¡°Fuck you.¡± ¡°You guys like to curse a lot.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± He justughed at me. ¡°Call me if you want to kidnap the prettydy.¡± ¡°Just send me to the airport, please?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. Kidnap for a bride. It doesn¡¯t need convincing, given how she looked at you. She will marry you in a heartbeat.¡± I stopped talking. Terzo was chatty, and he always had something to say or reply. I admired this guy despite being raised in a cruel family. He still had his own way of appreciating things and people around him. He would be a good leader. He could be cold, ruthless, and feared, but his people would follow and respect him without questions. We arrived at the airport. The jet was ready. ¡°Come with me.¡± Heughed in amusement. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Thank you for the offer, man. I always flew under the radar. That¡¯s how I keep myself safe and alive. Go ahead.¡± He held his hand out. ¡°You¡¯re not so bad, Terzo.¡± I shook his hand. ¡°Because you¡¯re a good man, Linden. You don¡¯t wanna see the darkest side of me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve met bad people. I know that there¡¯s something good left inside this.¡± I pointed at his heart. ¡°Just get in that jet.¡± I smiled. ¡°See you soon.¡± *** I forgot it was Saturday. I showered and changed into a shirt and jeans. Taco Saturday was a thing for Vanderford, Cade, and Braddson, and there was no escape, even for me. I had no choice but to be at Moses¡¯ estate, or the pregnant London would throw a fit in my absence. I just parked my car in front of the mansion when a familiar figure stood beside the white sedan. I went out quickly to confirm who it was. She was already grinning at me. ¡°Wi?¡± ¡°You sound so surprise, big brother.¡± She pulled me into a tight hug. ¡°I missed you. Dad, too. You should visit him sometimes, not just drown yourself with work.¡± ¡°Now you sound just like Pops.¡± I looked at her from head to toe before I kissed her on the cheek. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Mr. Braddson purchased paintings. I checked the authenticity and ensured he got the right items.¡± I nodded in delight. ¡°I miss you too, sis.¡± ¡°Just drop by the gallery sometimes.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t youe inside?¡± ¡°I was actually inside. Striker told me that you had just arrived. That¡¯s why I waited for you outside.¡± ¡°Okay. Is everybody there?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I was with Mr. Braddson and Striker the whole time. How are you? He told me you went to Italy?¡± ¡°Cade doesn¡¯t fully understand ssified. Ignore him.¡± Wiughed as she wrapped her arm around my waist. She was also tall, but I was way taller than her. ¡°So, you¡¯re dating someone?¡± She lifted her chin to look at me. ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯d been married and divorced. You, on the other hand, your friends are married, and you¡¯re still single. You¡¯re thirty, Gabe.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I can get married at forty,¡± I quipped dryly. She sighed loudly. I faced her. ¡°I know. I get it.¡± I paused. ¡°I love you, and I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re happy, okay? It¡¯s just-¡± I swallowed hard. I didn¡¯t know what else to say. ¡°If it makes you feel better, I stopped sleeping around. I wanna have a girlfriend. I wanna get married and have kids-¡± ¡°But you work so hard you don¡¯t even have time for yourself.¡± ¡°Wi.¡± I groaned. ¡°This is for the future.¡± Wi cupped my face. ¡°Look at me, brother. I love you with all my heart and soul. If you only open your eyes and heart, she can be right before you.¡± I took her hands down and wrapped my arm around her. ¡°Let¡¯s-¡± My words stuck in my throat. Everyone¡¯s eyes were pinned on us, including the unexpected guest.Well, fuck me.¡°Shit.¡± Chapter 12 ESTELLE ¡°Oh, God! I¡¯m so relieved you¡¯re finally back.¡± Mom had been hugging me for about a minute, and she hadn¡¯t let me go just yet. ¡°Mom, you have to let me catch a breath.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Finally, she pulled away and inspected me from head to toe, then to Quinn behind me. ¡°She¡¯s not going anywhere. Leave us, Quinn.¡± When Quinn shut the door behind him, Mom said, ¡°You look beautiful. Not too tan. And you look happy.¡± ¡°Because I am.¡± I couldn¡¯t let go of her hand. I really missed my mother. Mom always looked beautiful and sophisticated at fifty-five. I hoped I would look just like her when I turned her age, and I was her carbon copy anyway. ¡°Are you ready toe back to work?¡± ¡°This is your office, Mom. The job suits you well. You¡¯re meant to be the CEO of Star LLC.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I will still be the chairman, contribute to the design, be the consultant, attend meetings, continue with the campaign and donate to charities. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. You¡¯re still young, honey. I want you to enjoy, have fun, and be that young woman. You have enough responsibilities for most of your age. The chairman is not an easy task.¡± She sighed. I knew exactly what she was going to say next. ¡°No. Let¡¯s not ruin our day. Can we have dinner?¡± I pondered. ¡°Anytime you want.¡± ¡°Just say what you want to say to your dad. He will always be your father, even if the facts hurt him. And nothing can change that you will always be his blood.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± ¡°I love you, my darling.¡± ¡°I love you, too.¡± I smiled before I walked out of her office. Quinn drove me home directly. I didn¡¯t want to roam around and let the news reach my father. I wanted to have alone time before I faced him. ¡°Oh, My. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just too excited to see you.¡± My assistant Micah just rushed downstairs to hug me. ¡°I miss you, too, Micah.¡± Iughed. If she could hug me as if we didn¡¯t Facetime and did conference calls. ¡°Are you jetgged?¡± She followed me upstairs to my room. This three-story modern house had been mine for thest two years. It was big for me, but I never threw a party here because I greatly valued my privacy. During holidays, I celebrated either with Mom or Dad. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I need a nap before you throw all the meetings to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since tomorrow is Saturday, you will begin all the meetings and works on Monday. That gives you enough time to recuperate.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best, Micah.¡± I entered my room and halted. I was astonished. It was aesthetically feminine with light and modern colors, yet still me. ¡°You¡¯re right. K & B is the best. This is perfect. I want to start my new day in a new room. Thank you.¡± ¡°Anytime. I¡¯ll leave you to rest. If you need anything, call me anytime.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Before she reached the door, she paused. ¡°By the way, Mr. Moses Braddson just called earlier. He said if you could return the call, that would be great.¡± My brows met together. ¡°Moses Braddson?¡± ¡°Yes. The Hover, Braddson. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s interested in buying Star Cosmetic, isn¡¯t he? But Star Activewear is possible, you know.¡± I know precisely why he called. He knew me and yed golf with my father. ¡°Send me the contact.¡± ¡°On it.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I instantly received his number. Once I was alone, my mind went back to Linden. I just couldn¡¯t erase what happened in that boat. I wasn¡¯t exactly hurt, but I wished we ended our conversation nicely. I pushed myself into him because I thought that was what the invitation was all about. I guessed he was just doing his part. And I was just too ahead of myself. I dialed Moses Braddson¡¯s number and waited until he answered. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Braddson, I hope I¡¯m not interrupting. I¡¯m Estelle.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not, sweetheart. I¡¯m waiting for your call, anyway. How are you?¡± His voice was calm, but I still wondered why he suddenly contacted me. ¡°I¡¯m good. How are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing great, thank you, Estelle. You¡¯re probably wondering what this call is all about.¡± ¡°Yeah. I was surprised when my assistant told me. How may I help you, Mr. Braddson?¡± ¡°Are you free on Saturday? Tomorrow.¡± ¡°I guess I am. Yeah.¡± ¡°I can send a driver to pick you up. I¡¯d like to see you in my estate. You can bring your bodyguard with you.¡± ¡°May I know what¡¯s the asion?¡± ¡°My daughter-inw, London, will reveal my grandchild¡¯s gender. I was hoping you coulde and celebrate with us. You will receive the invitation in your email.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯d love that. Thank you.¡± ¡°Great. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Once the call ended, I was suddenly nervous. I remembered Quinn mentioned Linden and Mr. Braddson¡¯s son were close. Was he back home, though? God, I hoped not. That would be the most awkward reunion of all awkward reunions. *** ¡°Are you sure this is the best idea? I know London, but I haven¡¯t met her. I also don¡¯t know the gender of her baby.¡± I stared down at the box wrapped in a pastel blue-pink wrapper with cute bows. ¡°You want to give the baby a gift. That¡¯s it. Not expensive, but it¡¯s the thoughts that count, Estelle. The couple can afford to buy the whole baby shop anyway.¡± ¡°I still felt like crashing their party.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring the gift. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Quinn volunteered. ¡°You already said yes. It¡¯s rude not to show up.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Micah agreed with Quinn while I was still on second thoughts. ¡°Trust me. They would love what you choose. They¡¯re so cute.¡± ¡°Fine. I already said yes, anyway. I hope I won¡¯t-¡± I stopped. Micah didn¡¯t have to know my brief fling with Linden. ¡°You won¡¯t what?¡± she asked. ¡°We should go. Are you ready?¡± Quinn picked up the gift. ¡°It¡¯s light.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. And you don¡¯t have to know what¡¯s inside.¡± Micah arched a brow at Quinn. The Braddson estate was huge, and he didn¡¯t take his safety lightly. The security was top-notch. Given he was one the wealthiest men in the world and almost died in a ne crash, he shouldn¡¯t take that incident for granted. ¡°This is way beyond what I imagined. This is what a modern castle looks like.¡± Quinn went to open the door for me. Once I was out, I recognized London in her blue dress, and it was not hard to miss the baby bump. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± She was already beaming when we kissed on the cheeks. ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Striker replied. I was too focused on London¡¯s tummy that I didn¡¯t realize he was behind her. ¡°How does it feel like to be first-time parents?¡± ¡°Excited. Thrilled,¡± they said in unison, causing me to beam. They looked so in love. I felt a little ache in my chest because I knew if I married yton, I would never see myself in London. ¡°It took us a year. So this is our greatest blessing,¡± Striker replied, thenughed. ¡°Where are our manners, baby?¡± He looked at his wife with so much devotion. ¡°See how excited we are. We even forget to introduce ourselves and wee you in.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Estelle. My husband Striker, and I¡¯m-¡± ¡°London. I know both of you. This is Quinn Hunter.¡± ¡°Hello, Mrs. Cade. This is from Miss dwyn.¡± ¡°Aw. You don¡¯t have to, but I love unwrapping gifts. Thanks.¡± She giggled. Striker and Quinn shook hands, and London took me with her inside. ¡°I will introduce you to my super-extended family. They can be a little bit noisy, but I wouldn¡¯t change them for anything.¡± I felt pairs of eyes pinned on me. I realized London wasn¡¯t kidding when she said super extended family, but one head I didn¡¯t see. ¡°That bald is Sax. Next to him is Kye. They may be giants, but they¡¯re softies. You can trust them with your life. Next is Neke, my best friend and also my assistant. Reef, the duck dynasty.¡± That had me cracking. ¡°Reed, my bodyguard, he¡¯s like a big brother.¡± ¡°Me, the wonderful Dad of Striker. Tate Cade.¡±Wait, what? The man in his fifties said. ¡°I have two wonderful fathers-inw. Papa will be here shortly.¡± Suddenly Kye raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯d love to know your beautiful name, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Shut it, Kye,¡± London said yfully. ¡°This is Estelle dwyn.¡± ¡°I thought so,¡± Sax said as he rose from the seat and held his hand out. ¡°Recognize the pretty blue eyes. Nice to meet you, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°She¡¯s taken,¡± Striker warned him, gesturing something I didn¡¯t catch. I wasn¡¯t aware he was already beside his wife. ¡°Noted. She¡¯s freaking Estelle dwyn.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I asked out of curiosity. ¡°Ignore Sax, but my guys have a huge respect for women,¡± Striker added. ¡°Join us in the backyard, and please, feel at home.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Thank you.¡± Everybody stood. Before we could move to the backyard, everyone seemed to stop moving, all eyes behind us. When my curiosity kicked in, I turned around. My mouth gaped. I was sure my eyes were big as saucers. And my heart did a little thumping before it nearly stopped. Linden just walked in, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯te alone. He has a beautiful tall brte in his arms. I guessed he was really into brtes. I wouldn¡¯t wonder why he didn¡¯t stop me froming home. He sure could have any woman in his arms any time of the day. The most awkward reunion, indeed. Chapter 13 LINDEN ¡°Oh. I see,¡± my sister hinted. ¡°Now I know why.¡± ¡°Can you give me a minute?¡± I didn¡¯t even bother looking at Wi as I was already marching toward Estelle in an intense fevered stare throwing at me. The people I called my family, brothers, and best friends seemed to understand the awkward situation I was in. They left as I had just walked in carrying a deadly weapon, except Quinn. ¡°Can we talk?¡± My voice came out a whisper, but she heard me though. ¡°About?¡± She arched a brow. If I saw in her eyes was right, she was pissed off. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the backyard,¡± Quinn mentioned before he left us. Yeah, about what exactly?About how I lied to aplish my mission? ¡°Us.¡±Way to go, Gabriel Rembrandt. ¡°Wait. There¡¯s an us?¡± Her sarcasm almost made me cringe and spared me a sharp nce. ¡°I thought you were pretty much clear that there was no us. Excuse me.¡± ¡°And I thought you didn¡¯t want a rtionship.¡± ¡°Yes. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± When she began to walk back, I quickly grabbed her hand, and something caught my fingers. When I looked down, we both had the same expression. I didn¡¯t know why, but somehow we both gasped, surprised, but I was more shocked to see the humongous rock on her finger. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me,¡± I snapped and didn¡¯t try to hide the pain and sadness in my eyes. That was the first long sentence that came out of my mouth and wasn¡¯t even pleasant. ¡°Do I look like a woman who would beg for your attention?¡± ¡°Is everything okay here?¡± I froze at the voice behind me. ¡°Sweetheart, you made it.¡± ¡°Mr. Braddson,¡± she called Moses, and her voice had no hint of guilt or regret. She was ted to wear the ring of that asshole. ¡°Just call me Moses, Estelle.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± She chuckled as she left me for a handshake with Moses. ¡°Are you okay, Gabe?¡± Moses asked, but it sounded like torture to me, taunting me for the biggest mistake I¡¯d made in my life. I cleared my throat to strengthen my voice before I answered, ¡°Yeah.¡± Why wouldn¡¯t I be? ¡°Let¡¯s go to the backyard,¡± he announced. ¡°I take you met my son and his wife and the guys.¡± That was it, they left, and I was just standing there alone, gargling my own bane. The backyard was practically a golf course. That was how huge it was, and so many happy memories happened here. My best friend got married here, and their pregnancy announcement. We celebrated holidays, birthdays, and special asions. London and Striker were beyond thrilled when they found out they were pregnant, and I was ecstatic for both of them. Now I wasn¡¯t aware that gender reveal was a big deal, but yeah, who would I deny their happiness? Food, refreshments, and champagne are served. I chose to sit with Kye and Wi at the same table while Estelle was with Moses and Tate. On the other hand, her bodyguard was with Reed, Briggs, and Can, Striker¡¯s new driver. ¡°You don¡¯t think I will let you go without asking you about Estelle, right, brother?¡± Wi started. ¡°We briefly metst week in Italy.¡± My words came out filled with bitterness. ¡°So you were in Italy, huh?¡± Kye inquired. ¡°Yeah. Marettimo.¡± I briefly looked at him, my way of saying to shut up. ¡°What do you mean by briefly?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what it means, Wi,¡± I just snapped at my sister. Great. ¡°Hey.¡± She reached for my hand, and I almost missed Estelle looking at me. ¡°Oh, boy,¡± Kye reacted. ¡°What is it blond-y?¡± Wi asked. ¡°I think I should shave my head and keep it bald like Sax. Why is it everyone making my hair a big deal?¡± Before we could reply to Kye¡¯s little outburst, London and Striker stood up and went to the front, where there was a colorful decoration of balloons and flowers. It was actually pretty. London and Striker were too clingy sometimes. It made me cringe, but I got that. They were made for each other, and they almost ended up in divorce because of her father. When they made a short speech about how grateful they were, I stole a nce at Estelle. She smiled delightedly at the couple, her hands sped under her chin. She always stupefied me in many ways. ¡°You really like her, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kye said. ¡°She¡¯s engaged,¡± I just blurted out. Just fucking great. Could this night get any worse? Kye and Wi shared the same reaction as they exchanged looks. ¡°To the dick?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the dick?¡± Wi asked Kye. Before he could answer, the massive bottle of wine Striker and London were holding popped. The cock flew, revealing somewhat blue glitters, then followed by fireworks. Everyone yelped and gushed. It didn¡¯t take a rocket scientist to know what they were having. ¡°It¡¯s a boy!¡± We rose from our seats to apud and congratte them. When everybody was done hugging them, I went to hug my best friend and London. ¡°I get to teach him the first archery lesson. I couldn¡¯t be happier, sweetheart.¡± I opened my arms. London came to squeeze me into a tight hug even if she looked like she just swallowed a ball. ¡°Thank you, Linden. You will be my son¡¯s godfather.¡± I stared at her. ¡°Really?¡± She was about to cry when she burst intoughing. ¡°You gave me shelter when I was lost. Who else deserves to be that man?¡± ¡°Does Cade know this?¡± ¡°Yeah. We blurted the same name when we thought about who would be our son¡¯s godfather.¡± ¡°And it was me?¡± Delighted, I pointed at myself. I was still finding it hard to believe. ¡°No, asshole.¡± Iughed out loud before I pulled them both into my arms. ¡°I¡¯m going to explode if I got to be happier than what I am feeling right now.¡± ¡°You should at least entertain our special guest,¡± Striker said.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°I tried. I think she might figure out my purpose on that ind.¡± ¡°What did I miss?¡± London asked. ¡°I¡¯ll fill you in, baby.¡± ¡°Of course, sweetheart. I want him to have ymates.¡± Striker shook his head in amusement. ¡°TMI, sweetheart.¡± I rolled my eyes. All of a sudden, I felt the air change. ¡°So, it¡¯s a baby boy. You both would be great parents,¡± Estelle said. Her smile was contagious. ¡°Thank you, Estelle. And thank you for being here. These guys sometimes drove me crazy, in a good way. It¡¯s always great to have another girl to talk about girl stuff.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± ¡°Next Saturday at our home, if you¡¯re free, we do tacos Saturday.¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± She waved her hand dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna intrude-¡± ¡°No, no, no. You¡¯re literally a part of our small circle of craziness.¡± Londonughed. ¡°If you enjoy tacos, you should try Linden¡¯s omelet. Man, you would have a mini-orgasm.¡± ¡°Baby,¡± Striker warned his wife. ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth, Cade.¡± She looked at her husband, her eyes twinkling. I watched Estelle blush. Did she just blush? She might as well remember something. ¡°Oh?¡± London¡¯s eyes suddenly grew big. As soon as she noticed the big rock on Estelle¡¯s finger, I began backing out. Striker was too quick to catch me on my arm and gave me no choice but to bear the awkward moment. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± he whispered, just enough not to be heard by these women. ¡°Who¡¯s the lucky guy? I don¡¯t know you¡¯re engaged.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the luckiest, actually. He¡¯s a great guy.¡± While she was smiling, I clenched my jaw in anger as Striker wouldn¡¯t let me go. ¡°Wi,¡± London called my sister. ¡°Just let me go, man,¡± I said through gritted teeth. I wondered if he knew something I didn¡¯t. But, of course, Moses never kept a secret from his son. Why would I even be so surprised? ¡°Not a chance.¡± The Striker was calm beside me. ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass me, asshole.¡± ¡°Hey, preggy. Is he kicking yet?¡± ¡°Oh yeah. I could already see him as a ser yer.¡± ¡°Football, Vanderford.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in America, Cade.¡± ¡°Cute, aren¡¯t they? That¡¯s how they call each other,¡± my sister told Estelle. Estelle¡¯s lips barely curved into a smile. Wait a minute? Did she think what I think it is? Holy shit. ¡°Linden?¡± Sax called out. ¡°What?¡± Wi and I answered in unison. ¡°Not you, old man. Wi, I need your opinion on something.¡± What the fuck? I saw how Estelle¡¯s face lit up as if she had just put two and two together. Why was it that everyone who didn¡¯t know me and Wi thought we were not siblings? Or she didn¡¯t just think Wi and I were married. That was just gross. ¡°Sure. Tell me your rate,¡± Wi joked. ¡°Are you kidding me? You¡¯re charging me now?¡± My sister shrugged, making Kyeugh. ¡°Nothing is free in this world anymore, Ryder. That¡¯s how it works.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± I wanted to punch myself. ¡°Just give me a minute, Ryder. Sorry. London, you called me.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯d like you to meet Estelle dwyn.¡± ¡°Of course, I know who she is.¡± She faced Estelle. ¡°I love the new lipgloss. I actually have it in my bag. It¡¯s not sticky, and it adds volume to the lips. And the smell doesn¡¯t give me a migraine. I¡¯m a little bit sensitive with a strong smell. And the color. I read in a magazine that you are hands-on with choosing the color yourself?¡± ¡°Yeah, I do blend colors myself. All the shades, I can say that I¡¯m proud of because it¡¯s part of my individuality. Even if it represents women, gender equality, colors, and races, it always has a-¡± ¡°A part yourself,¡± my sister added. ¡°Yes, my identity.¡± Her face lit up as she agreed with my sister. ¡°Signature. Your trademark. I have all that in my designs,¡± London said. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°That makes you girls unbeatable because of your uniqueness, entricity, and authenticity.¡± ¡°Well, look at you.¡± Striker smirked at me. ¡°Thank you, Wi.¡± ¡°Of course. My brother¡¯s friends always have my support.¡± Wi picked up something from her bag, offering Estelle her calling card. ¡°If you are looking for an art curator or wanna visit my gallery.¡± ¡°You¡¯re shameless, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a knockout, and I like her. Sorry, big brother.¡± She just winked at me, making the coupleugh. Estelle giggled as she checked out the card. ¡°Thanks, Wi. I will definitely check your gallery and tell some friends too.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t regret it.¡± Wi raised brows at me. ¡°That¡¯s how you make money, Gabriel Rembrandt. Oh, yeah, that¡¯s not your case anymore, right? Well, one of us should make an effort to make a living.¡± I shook my head in amusement. That was why I loved her. ¡°Gabriel Rembrandt, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s his ridiculous name.¡± ¡°Better than Wi Violet.¡± ¡°Very mature. It¡¯s because I was so violet when I was born,¡± she exined directly to Estelle. The next thing I knew, they were sitting next to each other,ughing as my sister probably told her the most embarrassing story of my family. ¡°She just figured out Wi is your sister, brother.¡± Striker stood next to me as we watched the two women chat. ¡°She¡¯s still engaged.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t name the guy, did she? The non-existence fiance? She¡¯s probably faking it to make you jealous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s yton fucking Weston.¡± ¡°The guy with a small dick?¡± London joined us. I stared at London to Striker. ¡°What the shit did you two know about my trip to Italy?¡± Chapter 14 ESTELLE ¡°What the hell?¡± I yelped in surprise to find Linden already sitting next to me in the backseat of my car. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I told you I need to talk to you.¡± I shot him a sharp nce. ¡°Then a normal person does by calling my office to arrange an appointment.¡± ¡°I think we both know that we pass beyond that.¡± ¡°Mr. Linden, would you mind stepping out of the car, please? You¡¯re making my client ufortable,¡± Quinn interrupted. Linden was unbothered and hadn¡¯t moved a muscle. His gaze was still pinning it on. ¡°Just give me two minutes, Hunter. And I wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm Estelle.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing a great job showing it, Mr. Linden,¡± Quinn said. When Quinn got out of the driver¡¯s seat, opening the door for Linden, I butt in, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Quinn. He said two minutes. Just please wait outside.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± He looked straight at me. ¡°Yeah. I can handle this type of man,¡± I said in contempt. ¡°What type of man exactly do you think I am?¡± I faced him, meeting his gaze. ¡°Arrogant SOB, Overconfident, he thinks one fuck is enough for him to show the world that he owns her.¡± ¡°Whoa.¡± His eyes widened in shock, clearly, offended. ¡°Is that how do you think I look at you? That I own you. I¡¯d never intentionally wanted to hurt you.¡± I felt the actual fury roll in my chest. ¡°Hurt me? Why do you think that you can ever hurt me?¡± ¡°Then why are you avoiding me like the gue? If you so have no grudges over me and you don¡¯t feel something for me, we could have just pretended that nothing happened in Italy.¡± ¡°Oh, I already forgot what happened in Italy. What I can¡¯t tell is how you lied and manipted me, pretending that you didn¡¯t know who I was when we first met. So you just think that I can just forget that? Screw you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Apology epted. Your two minutes is over. Get out of my car.¡± I straightened in my seat as I looked away from him. Silence ensued. It became ufortable for the two of us. I could hear how he swallowed. ¡°Estelle-¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not gonna answer or talk.¡± ¡°Are you engaged to yton?¡± God, he wouldn¡¯t just shut up. I turned to face him, ring. I wished I could unsee the pain in his eyes. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I think, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a wise decision. You¡¯ve said it yourself. He¡¯s not a good man.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not your problem anymore, right? How much your father paid you to bring me back?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I showed him the picture I took from Quinn. He just shook his head to deny it. ¡°Liar.¡± ¡°I never lied to you.¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± ¡°Your father approached me three weeks ago but declined when I saw your picture. And I told him I don¡¯t do field work anymore because he asked me to personally look for you and bring you home by any force necessary. I couldn¡¯t harm a woman. At first, I didn¡¯t know the purpose or his intention. I told him I have men capable of doing the task, provided that the subject-¡± ¡°The subject, huh?¡± He cringed at my words. ¡°Provided that you wille willingly. That didn¡¯t happen. Last week boss- Moses asked me a favor. I owed him a lot, and he¡¯s my best friend¡¯s father. He would never ask me if it could jeopardize my life, and I could never say no to him, even so. I declined at first, but when he said to convince you toe back, he said something that changed my mind, and I¡¯m still puzzled by what he meant until now.¡± He looked directly into my eyes. ¡°No money is involved. Yeah, I took the assignment- that was not even an assignment. I flew to Italy willingly and left my job. When you used me of working for your father, that was when I realized that he had hired someone before me.¡± ¡°Three, actually. The first one, he found me in Seychelles. I yelled out kidnapper. The local police apprehended him. The second was in London. I tased him. Quinn sent my father a message. Then the man before you, he caught me. He was vicious. Thankfully the guys just came out of the blue to help me.¡± ¡°It was from Hunter¡¯s agency.¡± I stared at him. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hunter had beenmunicating with his agency before I even met you. He made a deal. Ask him. Ask him why he¡¯s back to his job. What¡¯s the catch?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± My voice rose in hysteria. There was no way he would betray me. ¡°He would never lie to me.¡± ¡°Well, news sh, Estelle. He did.¡± ¡°It was to protect me.¡± I wanted to deny that Quinn never did that or how he knew all of this. ¡°Yeah, maybe, but he has to take you back home before the end of the month. That was the deal. I don¡¯t know who issued the paycheck yet, but I will figure it out.¡± I shook my head slowly, disbelieving and denying all that I heard. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°I told you I would never lie to you. When I saw you, and you introduced yourself to me, I didn¡¯t know you personally. That¡¯s the truth.¡± When my chin trembled, I bit my bottom lip not to shed a tear for them, for anyone, for the truth I just found out. ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Estelle.¡± ¡°Get out, Linden.¡± ¡°I just wanna-¡± ¡°I said get out!¡± For a moment, silence echoed. None of us moved. ¡°Call me if you need anything. I mean anything, Estelle.¡± ¡°I would never need you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I suppressed my anger, rage, and emotions as I silently screamed alone when he stepped out of the car. He just admitted to being there to find me. It hurt a lot. What hurt me the most was that the person I trusted had been betraying me the whole time. Whatever reason he had, or maybe his life or job in jeopardy, he could have juste to me and cleared things out, but he didn¡¯t. I felt Quinn came back to the car, and then he asked me, ¡°Are you okay?¡± I drew a deep breath before I spoke. ¡°Did your agency threaten you?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He sincerely asked. ¡°I need the truth, Quinn. What¡¯s the catch? Why they took you back after you went AWOL and betrayed them?¡± ¡°I told you.¡± He started the car. ¡°Stop. Stop lying. We¡¯ve been through a lot for months, Quinn. I have entrusted you my whole life. What¡¯s the catch?¡± ¡°I can have my job back provided I keep them updated on our whereabouts.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve been telling them where we were all this time behind my back?¡± I tried to keep a leash on my anger but failed. ¡°It was to protect you.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you even ask yourself why? To whom were they reporting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s above my pay grade, Estelle.¡± ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I just exploded. My cheeks heated from my anger. ¡°You¡¯re so dead!¡± When he went strangely silent, I asked, ¡°Did they also tell you to bring me back home?¡± When he couldn¡¯t answer and look me in the eye, that was it.I¡¯m done! ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Estelle, this is not a good idea. Let me send you home first.¡± ¡°Get. Out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not safe for you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not safe for me is you lying to me all this time, betraying me. I can¡¯t trust you anymore.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re angry-¡± ¡°You have no idea what I feel right now, Quinn. And you don¡¯t wanna find out. Get. Out.¡± ¡°At least let Linden send you home.¡± ¡°Go to hell, both of you.¡± The moment he was out of the car, I went to the driver¡¯s seat and hit the gas. I wanted to get out of that ce, and damn, it shocked me that I was already driving alone. When I got home, I instantly recognized the car park in the driveway, including the SUV behind it. And I was more surprised to see them in the living room. Could this night be any worse? ¡°Do you own a Hyperloop train or something?¡± Pissed off, I settled my eyes on Linden.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°You should not-¡± ¡°How did you find my house, Linden? This is private property.¡± The two guys, Sax and Kye, looked at each other, telling me there was no way they would tell me. ¡°I know where you live. I pressed Quinn to tell me where you were going.¡± ¡°You mean you track me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not wise for you to drive alone, Estelle,¡± he insisted, but I didn¡¯t give a damn. ¡°Why do you care?¡± ¡°Because I do.¡± My heart skipped a beat. ¡°Now you know I¡¯m alive and well. The door is opened. Tell Quinn never to show his ass up here.¡± ¡°He just lost his job.¡± ¡°He lied to me. Don¡¯t ever defend-¡± I shrugged. ¡°You two came out from the same pod. No wonder.¡± ¡°Insult me, it¡¯s fine, but he also kept you safe all those times. That gives him a little leniency.¡± Wow. Now I felt like an ungrateful rich bitch. ¡°Whatever. Are you done?¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ll have a new bodyguard tomorrow.¡± I scoffed. ¡°Unbelievable. You couldn¡¯t be any more stereotypical toxic masculinity alpha bullshit. I could provide my own security.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say you¡¯re incapable of doing it on your own, but you can trust my men. They are highly trained, trustworthy, and don¡¯t worry about their loyalty. It is to their client, not to me. But it¡¯s your choice if you can find someone you think will protect you.¡± He tipped his head to Sax and Kye. ¡°Good night, ma¡¯am,¡± Kye said politely. ¡°Have a great evening.¡± Sax left with Kye, leaving me with the big bad wolf in my living room. ¡°I¡¯ll give Hunter a job. Please contact my office if you want to take him back as your bodyguard with a new resume. Good night.¡± He walked past me with that confident stride. ¡°Why?¡± He stopped. ¡°I believe everyone is redeemable.¡± Crap. He had to say that. ¡°Congrattions on your engagement, Miss dwyn.¡± That too. Chapter 15 LINDEN ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a smart idea?¡± My mood went gloomy as I settled down to my chair, contemting whether I should be offended or ignore the fact that Sax doubted my n. ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to do?¡± ¡°Just answer me why?¡± ¡°Are you threatened or something?¡± He scoffed, and an arrogant smirk appeared on his lips. ¡°Me? A loser like Quinn Hunter threatens Sax Ryder.¡± When I smiled and grabbed the resume on my table, he just cursed. He knew Quinn was just standing behind him. ¡°He¡¯s standing behind me, isn¡¯t he?¡± When I ignored to answer his question, he turned to Quinn. ¡°Hunter, wee to Osmium.¡± He offered his hand. That was what I loved about Sax and Kye. They just talk, but nothing personal or seriouspetition around here. The job was a job. ¡°Thank you, Ryder.¡± Quinn shook Sax¡¯s hand. ¡°Sorry that you have to hear that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m a loser anyway.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not. You¡¯re about to work at Osmium. Your agency-¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s enough, Sax. I have work to do. Get out of my office.¡± ¡°Right away, boss.¡± He saluted as he beamed at me before he walked out the door. ¡°Take a seat, Hunter.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He unbuttoned his jacket. He was well-dressed, I got that. Well-mannered as well. His record was spotless if his resume and rmendation letter were on point. ¡°Feelings aside, I¡¯m going to hire you because you have an excellent record.¡± ¡°Three tours would make you tough, sir.¡± I chuckled. ¡°First, we don¡¯t call sir around here. I may run thepany, but we call ourselves by our surnames, or if you have a code name, that¡¯s fine. They call me boss sometimes because we¡¯re like family here. Call me Linden, Hunter.¡± ¡°Thank you, Linden.¡± ¡°I know we both started on the wrong foot, and you know how I feel about Estelle.¡± He broke the gaze. ¡°Yeah. I admitted, but she was okay with it.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask you about your deal with your old employer. You¡¯re going to start fresh here.¡± Jasper walked in. ¡°Busy?¡± ¡°Hunter, this is Jasper Greer. The COO. Jasper, our new guy, Quinn Hunter.¡± ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Greer.¡± ¡°He¡¯s quick to catch up,¡± he told me as he shook hands with Quinn. ¡°Pleasure is mine, Hunter.¡± ¡°Report for thest exercise.¡± Jasper dropped another file on my desk before he left. ¡°Thanks.¡± Then my assistant walked in. ¡°You have a visitor.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect anyone at this time.¡± ¡°You might wanna consider it.¡± ¡°Miss Padi, right?¡± Hope side-eyed me. ¡°I like him already.¡± ¡°Drop the miss. Padi or Hope is fine.¡± ¡°Padi then.¡± Hunter smiled. ¡°Hunter, go to Jasper on the other side of the building for briefing. And please, don¡¯t call this building donut.¡± Hopeughed. ¡°This is too futuristic to be called a donut. Thank you, boss.¡± Once he was out, I raised a brow at Hope. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll let her in.¡± ¡°Her?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I opened the file Jasper dropped on my desk. I checked the team¡¯s performance. It was better than I expected. Well, when they have high-tech simtion training, tenacious and hard-working men, I shouldn¡¯t have expected any less. There was a certain change in the air, the fresh floral scent filling my nostrils that caught my attention. The ck stilettos were the first that caught my eye, then the very long legs up to the white corporate dress cut just an inch above the knees. ¡°Done checking me out?¡± If there was a saying that air knocked out of my lungs, that was probably the precise words to say of how I felt right now as I lifted my gaze. She looked professional, sophisticated, and ssy. Her hair was in loose curls just below her shoulders. Only this time, I didn¡¯t see the anger and disgust in those beautiful blue eyes. Her lips should be banned from wearing red lipsticks, but yeah, herpany sold them. ¡°Take a seat. What can I do for you?¡± I tried to act professionally even if my hands tingled to cup her face and kiss those sinful lips. ¡°Thank you for taking my appointment.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know you¡¯d in my schedule.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± She suddenly moved in her seat, seemingly ufortable. ¡°It¡¯s all right. You¡¯re here now anyway. Can I get you something?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. I saw Quinn before I walked in. Thank you for giving him a job.¡± ¡°His reputation is excellent, but you¡¯re not here to talk about Quinn, are you?¡± ¡°Yeah. I personally came to take your advice on my PPD.¡± Why did shee if he could just ask someone to hire PDD for her? Maybe she wanted to see me after how she literally kicked us out of her house. And she was still wearing that ring. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°I only need someone who can keep me safe, drive me to work and personal errands. I want just like Quinn.¡± ¡°Do you want Quinn back?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he would want that,¡± she replied. Given the tone of her voice, she had already set aside our disagreementst weekend. ¡°He works in Osmium, but my n for him is to put him on a Team.¡± ¡°Is that dangerous?¡± ¡°Our line of work is always dangerous because we put our lives at risk to protect our clients.¡± ¡°I want him to choose if you don¡¯t have other rmendations. I want him to work for me because it¡¯s his choice.¡± I picked up the phone and dialed the COO¡¯s office. ¡°Is Hunter with you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jasper answered. ¡°Put him on the phone.¡± ¡°Boss?¡± ¡°When is your training schedule?¡± ¡°Next week. May I ask why?¡± ¡°I want you to drive our new client until your training. It¡¯s just temporary for a week. By that time, I have someone assigned to her.¡± ¡°Is it Estelle?¡± ¡°Yeah. Do you have a problem?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°But she wants you to choose. If you want it, take it. If not, fine by me.¡± ¡°Of course. I will always protect her.¡± ¡°Done. Come to my office.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Estelle had been listening to what I said over the phone. ¡°He¡¯ll be here. Why do you want him back even if he betrayed you?¡± ¡°He was put in a tough position. I did that to him. It¡¯s easy to judge someone without knowing the other side of the story. He lost his job because of me. When you said he was still redeemablest Saturday, I realized everyone should be given a second chance.¡± A soft knock interrupted us. ¡°Come in.¡± Estelle was quicker on her feet, smiling at Quinn. ¡°Even just for a week until I find someone-¡± ¡°Done. How could I say no to you?¡± Quinn smiled at her. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always wee.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the necessary documents. Will be in your emailter today,¡± I told Estelle. ¡°Thanks.¡± Her reserve was gone. She was beaming from ear to ear. ¡°How did youe here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m capable of driving. I¡¯m a good citizen, never been have even a parking ticket.¡± When she stood, I quickly offered, ¡°I¡¯ll drive you to your office. Quinn still has papers to process.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± She waved her handN?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Are you avoiding me?¡± At the corner of my eye, Quinn hid his smile. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to work so that I can be in her office in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Go,¡± I dismissed Quinn while waiting for Estelle¡¯s answer. ¡°No. I¡¯m sure you have a lot of paperwork to do.¡± She looked at my desk. I did have, but I wanted to squeeze her out to tell me the truth about her engagement. ¡°That can wait.¡± I rose from the chair to button my suit and gestured to the door. ¡°Shall we?¡± Her eyes began to narrow. Her nose red. ¡°Fine.¡± She looked around as we walked out of the massive hallway. ¡°Interesting design. I like that lounge.¡± ¡°At least you didn¡¯t say donut.¡± ¡°A ssic, yeah.¡± She chuckled. ¡°You didn¡¯t just say that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty awesome, actually.¡± She looked up at the ss roof. ¡°Bulletproof.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Would you like a tour?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve taken a lot of your time. Maybe next time.¡± ¡°Looking forward to it, that if your fiance will allow you to be here alone in the male dominant workspace.¡± ¡°He trusts me.¡± I followed her in the elevator. ¡°Do you trust him?¡± Her cheeks turned red. ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± ¡°A valid one. Considering what you said to me in Marettimo, I¡¯d never imagined you would wear his ring. You, the strong-willed, resilient, sensible, passionate woman, would never ept his proposal.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not your decision to make, is it? You lost that chance when you chose your own stupid morale.¡± As soon as the elevator slid open, she walked past me, striding toward the parking lot. ¡°You said it yourself. You¡¯re not ready to be in a rtionship.¡± I followed her. I wanted her to admit that she just made a huge mistake in her life. ¡°Estelle.¡± She kept walking, but I also had long legs. I could keep up. ¡°For God¡¯s sake, woman. Just stop and talk to me.¡± She stopped and faced me. ¡°Why? What can you do about it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to regret your decision. You¡¯re a fighter, Estelle. Fight it. You¡¯re stronger than that. Fight them. Go against their will. This is your life, remember?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯ll lose half of the investors and don¡¯t want to lose mypany.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know Weston had a share.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know my father and Weston would ckmail me. It was an empty threat at first until it wasn¡¯t anymore. They would convince the other shareholders to back out if I won¡¯t marry yton. I can afford to buy some shares, but not the reputation of Star LLC.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°I ran away to think, to make some other ns. I talked to other LLCpanies, but Weston and my father were way steps ahead of me.¡± ¡°When did he propose?¡± ¡°I have to go.¡± She walked away instead toward her car. ¡°Estelle, answer me.¡± She unlocked the car and got in. It wasn¡¯t me to give up easily on someone or something. I knocked on her window. I was surprised that she didn¡¯t drive off right before me. She slid the window down. ¡°When?¡± She might have seen those emotions in my eyes when she looked at me. ¡°What¡¯s the point of this conversation, Gabriel?¡± I smiled when she called me Gabriel again. I knew our connection was still there, brewing till it flowed. ¡°I wanna know.¡± ¡°I love collecting statement jewelry. When I saw you with Wi before I found out she was your sister, I wore this.¡± She showed me the ring. ¡°On my right. I honestly didn¡¯t know what I was doing. It¡¯s an instinct, I think. So when you asked, I kinda went overboard.¡± Fuck me. My effort to know the truth was totally worth it. ¡°So you¡¯re not engaged?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t met my father or yton, but I¡¯m having dinner with them on Friday.¡± ¡°Why the fuck would you have dinner with those assholes?¡± My mood soured as quicker as hers. ¡°If you have amazing ideas on how to stop it, now is the time to share them with the ss, Gabriel. Otherwise, just shut up and let me be in hell.¡± ¡°Give me a week or two.¡± ¡°Time is not my luxury right now.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk tonight over dinner.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Just let me drive you.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what do you want, Estelle?¡± Bewildered, she stared at me. ¡°Nobody asked me that.¡± Chapter 16 ESTELLE ¡°Agh. I¡¯m gonna regret this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t chicken out now. Linden is a good guy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I asked exaggeratedly. Sarcasm dripped in my voice. ¡°Since when? Because he¡¯s your boss now?¡± ¡°Then get to know him. He¡¯s actually a-¡± ¡°A good guy? You said it already.¡± ¡°I was about to say a trustworthy person. You have to give it a chance.¡± His reply was conciliatory. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡± I looked outside the car window. ¡°This is a business dinner. I know what you¡¯re thinking, so don¡¯t get any idea.¡± He chuckled. ¡°The only idea I get is he¡¯s a good cook. His father is a chef. When Linden saved money, he bought a restaurant for him. The older Linden doesn¡¯t work in the kitchen anymore but is always in his restaurant. I found that admirable. His father is his hero, Estelle.¡± ¡°Whatever. I hope I won¡¯t regret this,¡± I said dismissively. I didn¡¯t want more convincing because I knew I had misjudged Linden. ¡°Just chill out. You can always walk out and call me if he makes you ufortable.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°No, thanks for a week of your time.¡± ¡°If you want me to continue as your bodyguard, you can always talk to him.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, but I know you¡¯re bored with this job. You might as well want some thrill, and you will be working with the team. Just be careful out there.¡± ¡°Thanks for understanding. I still have to train. Their exercise is pretty awesome, and Osmium has a pretty state-of-the-art equipment and gadgets.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy for you. Truly.¡± He looked at me through the rearview mirror. ¡°Me too. But if you don¡¯t like your new PDD, I¡¯m just a call away.¡± He parked the car in front of the suburban two-story house. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± He came to my side, but before he could open the door, someone already did. It¡¯s Linden in a simple white shirt and pants. ¡°Thanks for bringing her safe to me, Hunter.¡± They had this brotherly hug that I didn¡¯t see iting. Quinn quickly adapted and became close with Linden. ¡°My job, boss.¡± I looked at the simple house before me. I wondered why he chose to have dinner with me here in his home. It was too intimate and personal than a restaurant. ¡°Wee to my humble home, Estelle.¡± He stepped aside when he opened the door and ushered me inside his house. ¡°Thanks.¡± I looked around his very homey and contemporary living room. There was a character to it, very Gabriel Linden. I could see him and his guys on these leather couches watching football matches with their beers. ¡°You look disappointed. You expect a big modern house like yours?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I tried to take off my coat. ¡°I just thought of you and your friends watching tv in this living room.¡± ¡°May I?¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± He came behind, took off my coat, and hung it on the rack. ¡°This has been my home since I came back from myst tour. I wanted Dad to have it, but he couldn¡¯t leave and sell our family home.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how small or big the house is if you can¡¯t call it home.¡± ¡°Exactly my thought. Take a seat. Can I get you something to drink?¡± His approach was subtle as if nothing happened in Italy, and how I threw him out of my house. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ready the table. Feel at home.¡± Once he went to the hallway, probably to the dining, I went to the pictures hanging on the wall and some framed photos on the tables just right next to the grand piano. There were pictures of him and Wi in college and his older version. I picked up the one with his team. I instantly recognized the two members. ¡°Centric Wollf?¡± Wow! I had no idea he served. Then the other was Striker, and I didn¡¯t recognize the other two. ¡°That¡¯s Ward. He died in the line of duty.¡± He was referring to the left with a huge smile. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°We still visit his wife often. This one.¡± He pointed at the man as his height and age. ¡°Beck Corbin. He owns a cattle ranch. Ward is his twin¡¯s widow. Great guy.¡± ¡°Thank you for your service.¡± ¡°Thank you. Dinner¡¯s ready.¡± I followed him as he led me to the dining. I was expecting a simple dinner, but Linden seemed to know how to impress a girl. Candlelit with flowers at the center of a long dark wood table set for two. He ushered me to my chair. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t have a typical food allergy.¡± Then he chuckled. ¡°Only to liars, I remember. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Bon appetit.¡± He ced the starter in beautiful ting, and it looked already appetizing. ¡°Are you trying to impress me?¡± ¡°Are you impressed?¡± His eyebrows raised amusedly. I took a bite of roasted stuffed mushroom with a green sd. I stifled my moan because it was delicious. I didn¡¯t want to inte his ego. Besides, it was just a starter. When I looked at him, he was maybe waiting for myment, but he looked satisfied with my expression. ¡°I left out the soup.¡± Heughed as he rose from his chair. ¡°Fine. Suppose you¡¯re looking for apliment. It was delicious.¡± ¡°You¡¯re easy to please.¡± ¡°It¡¯s food, Gabriel.¡± I stood up. ¡°I¡¯ming to your kitchen.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Oh, I insist. I wanna see who¡¯s behind the door. I heard your father is a chef.¡± I followed him, and of course, I saw no one. ¡°You¡¯re asking about me? If you wanna know something, take it from the source.¡± ¡°Shush. Chimichurri?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He watched me with amusement as I dipped the spoon and tasted his sauce. ¡°Wow. What are we having?¡± ¡°Grilled chicken in teriyaki sauce with macadamia and couscous.¡± ¡°Yum.¡± He started ting. Watching him was already mouthwatering. I couldn¡¯t help but admire how easily he put things together while I could barely slice a tomato without cutting my finger. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± His voice deepened. ¡°Why?¡± I met his gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna ruin the right, Estelle.¡± ¡°The only thing that can ruin the night is if you won¡¯t give me more chimichurri,¡± I admitted delightedly. I caught what he meant. I didn¡¯t want to be in trouble tonight, either. I ced the te that was supposed to be mine right next to his set. I could feel his surprise as he stared at me for a moment before sitting right next to me. I sliced my chicken and put a good amount of this sauce. It was cooked to perfection, tender, juicy, and well-seasoned. He also began eating. ¡°It runs in the family, huh?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Wi can¡¯t cook.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Well, she can boil water and fry some egg. Maybe make some sd.¡± ¡°Like me, I guess.¡± I cleared my throat. I may be intruding as well. ¡°Can I ask something?¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see the picture of your-¡± ¡°Mom? She left when I was five. I couldn¡¯t remember her face. Pops didn¡¯t wanna hurt us, so he burned all her pictures and raised us by himself.¡± ¡°He raised his children into strong and good people. My parents were divorced. They wereplete opposites. I didn¡¯t know if they had a single thing inmon. I grew up between two houses. It was hard at first, but I eventually realized that life is hard, and I have very supportive parents. Dad just turned vain when I earned my own money. He became controlling-¡± I paused and sipped the red wine. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m d you open up.¡± ¡°Well, your chicken has a way for people to be talkative.¡± I looked down at my te. I almost emptied it. ¡°It¡¯s so good.¡± We brought our dessert to his patio. It was a chocte souffle. ¡°You grow them?¡± I asked in disbelief as I sat on the chair. I had only seen vertical hydroponic indoor nts online and didn¡¯t know he had like those in his backyard. ¡°So you¡¯re also a green thumb.¡± ¡°Green thumb? I don¡¯t think so. I merely utilize the space. Are you cold?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Aren¡¯t you humble?¡± I tasted the souffle. It melted in my mouth. It wasn¡¯t too sweet. It was bnced with the bitterness of the dark chocte. ¡°You did notment on my dessert. You don¡¯t like it, do you?¡± ¡°I taste something.¡± ¡°Cayenne.¡± ¡°Hence theplexity. I love it.¡± ¡°Do you want more wine?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna get drunk.¡± I sighed. I was stuffed, but I wanted more of his souffle, only I didn¡¯t know why I was here in his house, and it didn¡¯t seem like a business dinner, so I braced myself. ¡°Why am I here, Gabriel?¡± ¡°I wanna help you.¡± I looked at him. ¡°How?¡± ¡°I wanna buy shares of yourpany.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t want you getting involved. It will just escte the ongoing issue.¡± ¡°Let those shareholders back out.¡± ¡°Can you afford to buy their shares?¡± He smiled instead of getting offended. ¡°If I ask help from Striker, Cenric, yes. I can also ask from Creed.¡± ¡°Mykel Creed? Do you know him?¡± ¡°Yeah. And Moses will not hesitate.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that.¡± ¡°I wanna help, Estelle.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± Now I offended him. His expression darkened. ¡°Why do you always think my help has a catch? Unless you want to marry Weston.¡± ¡°No, Gabriel. I want you out of this.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be in my name or our names. We will put it in the agreement as your silent partner.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I stood up. I was ready to leave when he held my hand, forcing me to face him. ¡°Why can¡¯t you ept my help? There¡¯s no catch, Estelle, except for the profit, of course.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t kiss me?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong if I kiss you?¡± His eyes suddenly darkened as he stared into my eyes down to my lips. My heart began racing. My breathing caught up as he raised his hand and ced his finger on my chin, forcing me to meet him in the eye. ¡°You changed, right? You want to settle down, and I¡¯m not ready.¡± ¡°But you¡¯d rather marry him.¡± ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m trying hard to avoid this from happening?¡± ¡°Then let me help you. Or you don¡¯t want to feel indebted to me and end up marrying me instead.¡± When his thumb traced my chin to my bottom lip, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I wouldn¡¯t stop him if he tried kissing me, but I needed a clear head right now. I couldn¡¯t afford to lose my battle for my lust and desire for him. ¡°Stop it.¡± I pulled his hand down and stepped away. He didn¡¯t stop me anymore. I went inside his house to pick up my bag and coat. ¡°Why did you want me to stop you back in Marettimo?¡± I felt him behind me. His presence made my body vtile and distrustful.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. I couldn¡¯t answer him. I wanted to see his face before I walked out of his home, but if he told me to stay, I just might. He always had this irresistible way, but I couldn¡¯t be that woman he wanted. ¡°Because I had this stupid idea of running away with you instead. I realized it wouldn¡¯t solve my problem. Ie back, and it is still there. I¡¯m meeting them on Friday, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Good luck then.¡± When he said good luck, I thought I was free. I was wrong. As soon as I felt his arms around my waist, my restraint was out of the window instantly. ¡°I want you, Estelle.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say no, please?¡± Chapter 17 LINDEN ¡°This is a terrible idea, Gabriel.¡± Her voice was low and shook a bit. I kept my arms around her petite waist and began kissing the part of her neck where she was most sensitive. ¡°Why? Because we¡¯re too good to be true to one another?¡± She should not be second-guessing herself. She knew my intention that this was not just a one-time thing. What we felt was real, more than just itch or lust, or sex. It was undeniably real. Sometimes it frightened me. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I feel like this. Why am I still trusting you after what happened in Italy? I should be running away from you, Gabriel.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be running away from me. You should be running into my arms, Estelle. You know that¡¯s the right thing to do. So why fight now when we both know how good we are together?¡± ¡°You know why.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck. You know what. I will do everything in my power to have you in my arms every day and night.¡± When she held my hands, I thought my world faded around me, but instead, she turned around and faced me. Those eyes were begging for something as they pinned right into mine. There were mixed emotions, but she definitely wanted this. ¡°I¡¯m gonna regret-¡± I didn¡¯t let her finish her words. My lips had been tinging to taste those cherry-red lips again. I¡¯d never had that urgency so fucking my brain in different ways that I would vanish into thin air if I couldn¡¯t kiss her. I didn¡¯t waste any time. I lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around my waist. I¡¯d never been so fast, takingrge steps at a time as I carried her up to my room. As we were busy kissing, I mmed the door behind us. I put her on her feet. Then we were both unmoving. I could still see the hesitation in her eyes, but also her hunger for me. Her chest rose and fell faster in anticipation. ¡°Take off your clothes, Estelle,¡± I said as I did mine. My voice was gruff with need. She didn¡¯t hesitate, though, which was a good sign. We didn¡¯t break eye contact as her dress fell to the floor, leaving her ckcy bra and her tiny panties. I was already hard, my cock was too eager to free from my boxers, but I took my time to admire those perfect tits and curves. Good Lord. She was fucking fantastic. Then she unsped her bra, shrugging off the pretty undergarment. ¡°Jesus.¡± I groaned as I watched those tits free. ¡°Let me.¡± I knelt before her as I helped her take those tiny little panties. Before I pulled it down, I pressed my lips on her mound, causing her to suck air. I slipped my fingers into the stic band at her hips, pushed it down, and let the back of my finger run through those smooth inner thighs and legs. She pulled one foot free, kicking them aside. And it was fucking sexy. I nted kisses on both legs and noticed she¡¯d been balling her hands into fists. Her bottom lip tugged between her teeth. My heart felt like thrashing around inside my chest. ¡°Sit on the edge of the bed.¡± I rose to my feet, taking off the remaining thing I had left in my body. My cock sprang free. It hurt how hard it was. Her eyesnded on my hand, wrapped around my dick as I did a stroke. She licked her lips. When she did as I said, pleasure sizzled straight into my spine. ¡°Spread your legs, and lie down. Your feet were on the edge. Keep your legs open.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very bossy.¡± Those were the first words she said when we came into my room. ¡°I am, but you¡¯re the boss of me.¡± I hummed in approval as she did as I ordered her to. Clearly, she was turned on as me. I could see the pool of wetness leaking from her folds. Estelle was always bare. That pink pussy made me drool and hungrier for her. ¡°What are you gonna do to me, Gabriel?¡± ¡°You can watch it for yourself.¡± I knelt before her as I held her knees and spread her wider before I dipped my head into the greatest treasure. ¡°Gab-¡± I barely started. She was already screaming my name as Ipped her from her tiny hole up to her clit. And something about it turned me on. She tried to close her legs, but I did a little grip. Ived her again, taking the sweet taste into my mouth. I did it again and again until she thrust her head back, her fingers sping the sheets. I flicked my tongue over her clit, rewarding me with a satisfied groan. She grew wetter as I spread her folds with my thumbs, and then I fucked her with my tongue.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Oh god, oh god, oh god,¡± she kept chanting. Her heels dug into the mattress. When I sucked her clit and did a little tag, her body contracted, and she had her first orgasm. She looked fantastic, all rosy skin with a dreamy smile. She hadn¡¯t had another breath. I crawled onto the bed, pulled her up, and kissed her savagely, allowing her to taste herself. Estelle was addicting, and I could eat her all night, but I needed to be inside her desperately. She kissed me with the same intensity. Her slender fingers slipped into my hair. But my night wouldn¡¯t beplete without tasting those perfect tits. She did a broken little cry as I tugged her tiny bud between my teeth, flicking it with my tongue. I did the same with the other and went to kiss her again. I positioned myself, my elbow on her side, my knees nestled between her legs, making sure not to crash her. ¡°Tell me you want me.¡± I stared down at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± ¡°I wanna hear it, Estelle.¡± She nced into my eyes and down to my lips. ¡°I know this is wrong, but I don¡¯t care. I need you. I want you for tonight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the death of me.¡± I leaned in to kiss her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll fuck you hard tonight, then make love to you in the morning, but you know that won¡¯t be enough. I have to have you every night for the rest of my life. But right now, I¡¯ll take what you will give.¡± She took a sharp breath, knowing I wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°I-¡± I pressed a finger on her lips. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m beyond grateful.¡± ¡°Gabriel¡­¡± ¡°I know, Estelle. And I¡¯d never been so reckless and broke rules for any women, but I¡¯m willing to do it over again with you.¡± I slid my hand down her stomach and right in between her legs. Her eyes shut close and moaned as I glided a finger inside her. She was soaked again. ¡°Open your eyes for me.¡± ¡°Gabriel.¡± Her eyes cracked open, ming with desire. ¡°We feel the same. We¡¯re desperate for each other. The only thing thates between us is you, but I just wanna know I can wait.¡± I pulled out my finger and slid it back. She let go of a shuddering breath as she gyrated her hips to draw deeper. ¡°You want more?¡± She nodded. ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°Yes. I want you. I want more.¡± I could hear the pleasure and desperation in her voice. Iughed low. ¡°You have me, beautiful.¡± She responded with the rock of her hips against my hand. I took my finger out, showing her the wetness coating my finger. I traced it over her lips. She was about to dart her tongue out, but I stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy.¡± Instead, I ran my tongue over her lips and felt her squirm underneath. I kissed her again. This time, it was slow to drive her crazy, and it was sessful as she wiggled her hips, seeking the fiction she craved. With my cock lying heavy between her thighs, I lifted her leg to wrap it around my hip. I guided my cock into her, gently thrusting inch by inch until my full length buried deep. ¡°Fuck. This is even better.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± that was all she muttered before her eyes fluttered as she wrapped another leg around my hip. ¡°So damn good.¡± I pressed a kiss on her temple. ¡°Feel how good we are?¡± ¡°Gabriel-¡± ¡°What do you want, Estelle? Tell me.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t use a condom again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote, I guess. It¡¯s only been you since the boat ride.¡± ¡°Me too. I¡¯m still on my pills.¡± ¡°You trust me. That¡¯s all that matters.¡± I pulled out and thrust back with enough force to make her shudder. I started to move. My head dipped to kiss her lips, her neck, her cheek, my breathing wafted her face, and my temple pressed against hers. We were together. We became one. Sharp bursts of air escaped from me as she countered my move. I hit her deep. She wanted more. I wanted more. I thrust deeper and poured out the strength I had left. ¡°You¡¯re close. I can feel you. Don¡¯t hold back. I¡¯ll meet you there.¡± My skin was damped. The room filled with erotic sounds from our breathing, our flesh pping together. Our bodies move with erotic dance. It was hot. It was perfect. It was meant to be. ¡°Don¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, baby.¡± I plunged harder, faster, and thrust deep. Her head fell back. I kept it there for a moment, circling my hips enough to drive her crazy as I felt the pulsing of her clit. ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± Her words fueled my dick and almost knocked me out. I pulled out and mmed back hard. It dragged her up. Her body locked tight, bursting her orgasm, weing her beautiful ecstasy as she reached her climax. Chapter 18 ESTELLE I had never wanted a man in my life more than I wanted Gabriel Linden. It was loud and clear how I was so drawn to him like I was a moth, and he was a me. No matter how I told myself this, whatever we had would only put me in so much trouble, but I only listened to his voice and sensed him close to me. I lost all my willpower. This man lying next to mepletely consumed me, but I couldn¡¯t also ignore that he sacrificed something to take me to his bed. We were still naked. Linden was tracing the back of his finger on my corbone. His simple touch already hardened my nipple, and the ache between my legs began to spike again. ¡°What¡¯s in your head right now?¡± ¡°You,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous. I don¡¯t even know you, yet here I am, lying next to you naked, letting you break all rules.¡± ¡°There are no rules to break, and you know you can trust me deep in your heart. Your mind, your body, and your heart know you can trust me with them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my undoing, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± He pressed his lips against my shoulder. ¡°Very bad.¡± ¡°That bad, huh? It¡¯s apliment, Estelle.¡± I blew a breath, trying to suppress and control my needy self. When his finger barely touched my nipple, I drew my willpower to resist him. ¡°I should go. It¡¯ste, and I have work tomorrow.¡± ¡°Stay.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± I was about to get up when he ced his leg to hold me hostage. ¡°I promise to send you to work or home in the morning.¡± ¡°I had a great time, Gabriel, but I can¡¯t stay.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t or won¡¯t?¡± I sighed desperately. ¡°We can¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°Who said? Your father? Your future husband? Or it¡¯s just your head. Your body and heart said otherwise.¡± His tone turned hard and usatory. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± I groaned. ¡°Don¡¯t even begin something you don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I do, Estelle. It¡¯s no brainer.¡± He sat stark naked on the bed. ¡°You like me, really like me, but you¡¯re scared of losing yourpany. When your investors ckout, you can¡¯tpensate for the loss. You¡¯re not ready to settle down, but your father and your asshole boyfriend-¡± ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡± I cut in over him. My anger surged through me. ¡°And your-not-so-boyfriend-future-husband is ckmailing you, but you can¡¯t resist me because I am awesome despite the fact that I am no longer looking for hookups, older than you, wiser, and willing to help you take control of yourpany, that you chose to decline. I¡¯m still confused, Estelle. What¡¯s really stopping you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it.¡± I snapped even though I was not willing to this argument, but there were a lot of things he still didn¡¯t know that I was not ready to spill on him. ¡°Well, I want to. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here over dinner. If you don¡¯t wanna jump into marriage, I will wait. I just want to get rid of those obstacles, anything that stands my way to you, but I can¡¯t do it alone. Unless your issue is because you¡¯re richer than me, then I can¡¯t do anything about that.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t just magically rub a magicmp and wish to be richer than Elon Musk.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never fallen in love,¡± I admitted as I swallowed hard. ¡°That¡¯s good. Is that what scared you?¡± ¡°Despite how I grew up in a dysfunctional family and how awful my father has treated metely, I don¡¯t want to lose him. I don¡¯t wanna hurt anybody. When I started Star LLC, I only wanted to please people with Star Cosmetics and Star Activewear. It took me off guard how it grew fast from a ten million starter to one hundred million. Then, social media also greatly impacted me. It went 180, really. I couldn¡¯t grasp what was going on around me. I was way over my head running apany with two lines at a young age. When my father advised me to expand and look for investors, I didn¡¯t hesitate because I loved the feeling of being at the center of attention. I didn¡¯t know he had hidden agenda over it.¡± I had to give him a different story, part lie, and part truth. ¡°Are your assets safe?¡± ¡°Yeah. When the ckmailing started, I fired the old legal team and hired the one I could trust. My father wasn¡¯t so happy. I still want to enjoy my life, my single life, Gabriel.¡± I looked at him. I had to tell him why I didn¡¯t want to jump into a rtionship. ¡°I still want to travel all over the world, jet-setting. I need room to grow. I¡¯m not ready to be in a rtionship, especially to marry someone like yton. And if I will allow you to help me, I will always be indebted to you. I already have enough trust issues. I will feel like I owe you something.¡± ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. Of course, he disagreed because he had good intentions. ¡°The only thing you owe me is for you to live without those people trying to drag you down the mud. You don¡¯t owe me anything.¡± ¡°It struck me hard when you told me you owed everything to Moses. His help getting you in the contract is documented, but you still owe him somehow. This is it. I can¡¯t live with that. Do you understand me?¡± ¡°I do, but I know what you are scared of the most, Estelle.¡± He looked directly into my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of a lifetimemitment. That¡¯s why you put up some major walls.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± I sat on the bed, covering myself as I narrowed my eyes at him. Part of it, yes, but I would not admit that. ¡°You just said you¡¯ve never been in love. You¡¯ve only beenmitted to your employees, but none of them stay. You have friends, but they can stay or leave, while our rtionship wouldst if wemit. You¡¯re scared of failure, of letting people down. You¡¯re scared of people leaving you. Your parents can¡¯t even stand with one another. You¡¯re afraid that it will happen to you one day, and you have to raise a kid or kids alone. And you realize how my line of work can be in danger.¡± ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a rocket scientist, Estelle, but you¡¯re afraid of losing the people you care about, which is human nature. We all die, leave the people we love, we turn to dust, but the only thing we can give back to the people we leave behind is the sweet memories that live on them.¡± If he was right, one thing was I was afraid of failure and people abandoning me. Why did he have to be right all the time? I rose from the bed but could still feel his eye on me. I picked up his shirt on the floor, and that was when he sighed. His bedroom was very masculine, minimalist, and neat. I went down to his kitchen and peeked inside his fridge. This was better than mine for a guy living alone, and he lived a healthy lifestyle. I picked up the remaining of my souffle and went to take a spoon from his drawer. I sensed him on the door, even if I didn¡¯t have to confirm it. I leaned against his counter and started digging into the delicious dessert. When he sensed me not minding him, he came to me and cupped my face. I almost dropped the cup when he savagely kissed me with one hard kiss. Air stuck in my lungs even if he already let me go. What was with this man I couldn¡¯t say no to? I still didn¡¯t say a word. What he said earlier was still reeling in my brain. He grabbed a bottle of water and drank half of it. He then stopped before me, held my hand, and shoved the spoon in his mouth. ¡°You can have more of that if you have me.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I could just buy a souffle restaurant and eat every day.¡± ¡°My souffle is made with love and attention, baby. You know that. You can taste my omelet if you stay till morning. I can taste and eat you again and give you more orgasms to remind you how good we are together.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°I will.¡± He lifted me quickly as if I weighed nothing then he ced me on the ind. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Eat.¡± With one word he said, I was already panting. ¡°Spread your legs.¡± He began unbuttoning his shirt on me. ¡°Gabriel, we can¡¯t.¡± My protest sounded more like a plead. ¡°We can¡¯t wait. Yeah.¡± He chuckled confidently. Damn, this man had a voracious appetite when it came to sex. He wasn¡¯t joking when he said he would eat me. The cup dropped on the ind. My hands gripped against the edge. My head threw back, and I was staring at themp above us as I carelessly screamed his name. ¡°Stop. Stop.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I could feel his zing gaze on me. ¡°Give me a break.¡± ¡°Ten seconds.¡± He went to the fridge and came back with a bowl of somewhat chocte syrup. I watched him pick up the spoon, scoop the syrup, and pour it into my breast. ¡°God, it¡¯s cold.¡± I giggled. The moment the sticky syrup rolled down my nipple, I began panting, biting my lip as it felt delicious, and my clit began pulsing. ¡°You¡¯re so dirty.¡± ¡°You are my dirty, dirty wild dreams.¡± ¡°Clean it off, Gabriel.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°With pleasure.¡± Heved his tongue around my are with determined strokes. All the pressure zinged down my core. It was too dirty and mortifying, yet I couldn¡¯t stop him. It was wild how my lust drove me crazy and enved me. I knew I was soaking with need. Then he sucked it hard, and I was already squirming on the countertop ind, abandoning whatever restraint I had left. ¡°God.¡± I couldn¡¯t do anything but stare at the ceiling. I felt like I was his decadent and exceptional meal, the way he licked me clean. ¡°Are you wet, baby?¡± ¡°God, yes.¡± Then his mouth was gone. I felt empty and exposed all of a sudden. I was wrong when I thought his ytime was over, and all he meant was to make me admit it and leave me aching. I just felt the coldness of the syrup in my pussy. It felt so dirty and erotic, but it surprised me that I never felt embarrassed, and I didn¡¯t know it could turn me on so freaking much my body was on fire. ¡°Yes!¡± A single word, the only word I knew in my head as hepped me, ate me like his favorite dessert, licked me clean, fucked me with his tongue and fingers until I screamed as my orgasm rolled through me. Chapter 19 LINDEN I made my promise. I fucked her. Then I made love with her. Just when she was about to wake up, I ate her again and gave her another two orgasms. Right now, she was moaning as she had my omelet for the first time. ¡°Will you stop it?¡± I put a cup of freshly brewed coffee before her. She took a sip and gave me that look- the curiosity and impressed look. ¡°What do you have in this coffee?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s just a regr coffee.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I have enoughplimentsing from you that couldst a lifetime. It¡¯s just coffee, Estelle. I roasted it myself, ground it, and there you have it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She stared at me in disbelief. ¡°Yes, Estelle. I thought you rich people have sophisticated coffeemakers at home.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being humble.¡± She shoved another forkful of my omelet in her mouth. ¡°This is so good. I could eat this thing every morning.¡± She was even talking with her mouth full, making me chuckle. ¡°I told you.¡± She raised a finger to stop me. ¡°No, Gabriel. We¡¯re not having this conversation again.¡± ¡°Not today, but we will until I¡¯ve proven to you that I¡¯m the kind of man who would not leave you in the lurch.¡± ¡°Do you have a tumbler or a disposable cup?¡± ¡°You can go up and change. I got this.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± She rose from the seat to kiss me on the cheek before she went up. Quinn came early morning to bring Estelle¡¯s clothes and toiletries because, honestly, the only woman who slept in the house was London and, of course, my sister. I didn¡¯t have anything that women needed except for toothbrushes and towels. She blushed beet red in front of me and Quinn. While Quinn was waiting for Estelle toe down, I made breakfast. ¡°Have you found my recement?¡± ¡°I was thinking of Q.¡± ¡°Qamar Tarique.¡± He nodded truthfully as he carried his coffee. ¡°Yes. Do you have any objection or suggestion?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Are you changing your mind about pushing through the training?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m actually pretty excited.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried about her, that I might hurt her. Being your boss in the job is different than outside. Treat me like any ordinary person, Hunter, when we¡¯re not at work.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know your intention. I personally don¡¯t know you outside Osmium. I may be out of the line, but I care for Estelle as her security detail and friend. I don¡¯t wanna see her getting hurt. I get it she likes you, and things went a little fast, but if you hurt her-¡± Now he was threatening me in my house. Instead of taking his threat lightly, I was confident it was not empty. I smirked. ¡°I said the same thing. I told her that you¡¯re in love with her, and she didn¡¯t believe me.¡± I watched how he shifted in his ce, darting his gaze toward the kitchen door. ¡°She doesn¡¯t feel the same. I epted it long ago that she deserves better than me, even better than us. I will always care for her and protect her even if she already has someone else.¡± ¡°That we can agree on.¡± He sipped his coffee and finished his breakfast. ¡°Damn, it was a good omelet.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your secret ingredients, Gabriel?¡± She came to the kitchen looking so hot, like a billion bucks. ¡°Why do you always think there¡¯s a secret ingredient?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t most chefs have?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I¡¯m not a chef. Pops would have taught me if there was any.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go ready the car,¡± Quinn excused himself before things got awkward because even if Quinn was around, that wouldn¡¯t stop me from kissing Estelle. ¡°Here¡¯s your coffee.¡± ¡°I will give the tumbler to Quinn to return to you.¡± ¡°Keep it. It might remind you how good my coffee is. Starbucks kind of good.¡± I winked at her, and she tried to hide her smile but failed miserably. ¡°I got to go.¡± ¡°Not until I kiss you.¡± Before she could protest, I cupped her face and kissed her loud and quick. ¡°Take care. Enjoy your day, but don¡¯t work too hard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fueled. I could work until morning.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her remarks. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Bye, Gabriel.¡± ¡°You look hot. You can take a day off, you know.¡± I followed her toward the door. ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get her to work safe, boss.¡± Quinn was already waiting for her. ¡°Have no doubt.¡± *** Kye came to my office with the report I asked for. ¡°Find something interesting?¡± ¡°Aside from being an ass, nothing is out of the ordinary. His routine, going to Weston Yachts building, ying golf on the weekend, taking home girls, and leaving his penthouse in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Girls?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think he likes threesomes.¡± Keyughed out loud. ¡°Unless the other woman just sleeps in the other room, or they just talk all night.¡± ¡°Estelle said he¡¯s possessive and controlling. How about his finance?¡± ¡°He has twenty-thousand dors in his bank ount.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± My mouth gaped. ¡°Yeah. Last, he used his card to purchase a hundred fifty dor shirt.¡± ¡°I thought he invested in Star LLC.¡± My brows drew together. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Tyrion Weston has.¡± Now it was getting interesting. Estelle didn¡¯t tell me the whole truth. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Last month, his ount received fifty thousand dors, and it¡¯s like clockwork. He received it every 31st from his father¡¯s personal ount.¡± ¡°What the fuck? Are you sure?¡± I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. ¡°Maybe he invested all his money, which is good, but I don¡¯t see dividends. And why would his father send him money from a personal ount? Or maybe he¡¯s not getting more money from his father-¡± ¡°Until he¡¯s married.¡± A lot was going on here it still puzzled me. I had a feeling that I had barely scratched the surface. Kye gave me a confused look. ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°So this is about who could provide him financial stability. That fucker.¡± ¡°Wait a sec. Is he getting married? To whom?¡± ¡°Estelle.¡± ¡°Your Estelle?¡± He pointed at me in disbelief. His eyes widened in shock, and he barely blinked. ¡°Yeah,¡± I confirmed, even if the truth stabbed me in the chest. ¡°What are you going to do? You¡¯re not just gonna stand here and do nothing, right?¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Estelle likes me, no doubt, but she doesn¡¯t want my help. In fact, she wants me to stay away from her issue as far as possible. She doesn¡¯t want to get married either.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± He blocked me. ¡°You wanna get married? Is that why-¡± ¡°Of course, I want, Wilder. On the other hand, she still wants to be single, but her father wants her to marry that asshole bloodsucker.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s kidnap her.¡± ¡°You sound just like Terzo.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Wait, Terzo knows?¡± He suddenly looked hurt. ¡°Boss apparently didn¡¯t trust me that I could pull off alone. He sent Terzo. Don¡¯t worry. Sax doesn¡¯t know about any of this.¡± ¡°I never see thising, brother, that you like a woman. Well, in your defense, she¡¯s a beautiful billionaire. Her eyes are just, damn, they¡¯re stunning.¡± My eyes narrowed. And he quicklyughed it off. ¡°Easy tiger. I couldn¡¯t. We couldn¡¯tpete with you. So, you like her, huh, a lot?¡± When I went silent, his stare prated the back of my head. ¡°Well, damn.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in love.¡± ¡°Well, shit.¡± I raised my gaze to Sax on my office door. ¡°I¡¯m not paying you to gossip, asshole.¡± ¡°Wilder and I can¡¯t?¡± He picked up his phone, dialed someone, and waited for the other line to pick it up. ¡°Who are you calling?¡± ¡°Cade, are you free? It¡¯s an emergency. Like a death and life emergency. Meet us at the resto-bar in twenty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s working hours, Ryder. Go back to work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s break time, boss. And you can deduct it from my sry for all I care.¡± He then knocked on the door to call Hope. ¡°Padeeya.¡± I shook my head in disbelief. ¡°What do you want?¡± Hope came, ring at him. ¡°Free him until two.¡± He just gave the order to Hope, who didn¡¯t seem bothered. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not deaf, but you¡¯re not my boss. He is.¡± He pointed at me. ¡°Anything thates from you will pass through my other ear. Got it?¡± Kye and I watched them banter in amusement. If I didn¡¯t know Hope followed the rules in this building, I could easily rule out they liked each other, especially my guy, who was now in a staring contest with her. ¡°Careful, Ryder. She has a record of 2, 543 meters. If I were you, you would watch your back.¡± ¡°Holy shit,¡± Kye expressed while Sax seemed to have lost his voice. ¡°Well, shit. You have no idea?¡± Heughed out loud at his partner. ¡°Boss?¡± Hope called me. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m meeting Cade in a few minutes.¡± ¡°All right, boss.¡± Hope left. I didn¡¯t argue with them. I was also dying for a good burger. Since it was already almost lunch, I called the manager beforehand to reserve us a table and a delivery. I quickly saw Can, Striker¡¯s driver. He gave me a nod. Inside the restaurant, Striker was already waiting for us.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°What took you so long? Retouching your makeup?¡± ¡°Why are you so grumpy? Wife¡¯s moody? It¡¯s normal, man. That¡¯s called hormones.¡± Sax sat next to him. Across them were Kye and I. ¡°Our brother is finally off the market,¡± Kye started, and I just listened because I¡¯d rather enjoy my lunch than talk nonsense. ¡°Me? No. No fucking way.¡± Sax was quick to defend himself. ¡°We¡¯re not talking about you, dickhead,¡± Striker said, tipping his head at me. ¡°Holy shit! TBB, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°TBB?¡± I asked Sax. ¡°The Beautiful Billionaire?¡± ¡°Why do you all keep saying that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she?¡± His smile widened meaningfully. ¡°I did not see thising.¡± Striker just dialed someone on his phone. ¡°Pa?¡± Shit. He just called Moses, and I felt it had something to do with me. ¡°You lost, old man.¡± He gave the phone to me. I hesitatingly took it. ¡°Boss?¡± ¡°My wedding gift is ready.¡± ¡°Well, you might have to put that on hold, whatever that is, a little longer because the bride seemed not ready to settle down.¡± ¡°Well, you know what to do, son.¡± Shit. The table had turned. ¡°Do I?¡± Chapter 20 ESTELLE ¡°I¡¯m d you could make it, honey.¡± My father kissed me on the cheek before he went to my mother. Of course, I didn¡¯te alone. I needed someone I trusted as my plus one for tonight¡¯s dinner.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Gustav dwyn, the Chairman of Connect Technology and Emerce Company, or CTEC, to everyone who had a fortune of three billion dors as of tonight. He was always dressed to impress. Even women as younger as my age fell for him. ¡°Cut the formality, Dad. I know exactly what this dinner is all about.¡± I went to the chair to his right. Then I realized he was alone. I expected to see yton and Tyrion, but it looked like they were fashionablyte, or this was supposed to be a family affair. ¡°Am I missing something?¡± Mom sat across the table and asked Dad. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me our guests arete?¡± ¡°No guest. It¡¯s just us, as a family,¡± my father replied as he ced the table napkin on hisp. ¡°We are not together. Are we really calling this family when it was over years ago?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, Mom.¡± I smiled tightly at her. The dinner was served with a starter. This suddenly reminded me of the dinner I had with Linden. Nevertheless, I still wanted this night to end well before we threw every te on the table to my father. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner peacefully then,¡± I announced. ¡°It¡¯s just your mother who thinks I have a hidden agenda.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you do. The night is still young, Gustav.¡± My father paused with a sigh before taking a bite of the food on his te. ¡°You do not seem surprised that I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°I always knew you would get tired staying away from home. One thing you can¡¯t leave behind is your business. How¡¯s the new design going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to see the final designs on Monday,¡± Mom said. Regarding the new skincare and baths, the test was sessful.¡± ¡°So in a few months, it will be ready if there are no setbacks. I¡¯m also working on baby bath products, but it will take time. You know babies and kids have more delicate skin than adults.¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Estelle. I hope you know that. But you can leave the job to your mom and the production department. Your job is to please the stockholders.¡± As my brow raised, I shared a look with my mom. What was going on? The reason why I was in this trouble was because he didn¡¯t support my dreams. Now, he was proud of me? ¡°Thank you. It means a lot, but you¡¯ve known me to be directly involved with thepany products.¡± We were already in the middle of the dinner, but nothing eventful happened, making me more anxious. I didn¡¯t want surprises for tonight or any shocking events. I wanted to leave his house without any anger in my chest. ¡°You barely touch the dessert. I thought you liked it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually delicious, darling,¡± Mom told my dad. I ignored the bitterness in her tone. ¡°It is.¡± I took a sip of my wine. I didn¡¯t want the alcohol affecting my head. The dark chocte parfait melted in my mouth, and the seeds had a good crunch. After dinner, I still felt a knot in my stomach. When we went to the family room where I¡¯d spent most of my childhood days, it also brought good and bad memories. No matter how I tried to block out their voices when they were fighting, it was just too loud. As a kid, it affected me mentally and emotionally. Sometimes, I asked myself if there were still true love, if there were still longsting rtionships, and I couldn¡¯t just let Linden wait. He was so optimistic, loyal, family-oriented, hardworking, and damn, that man could cook. Dad and Mom opened a topic about the new venture of CTEC. I barely paid attention, but it has something to do with artificial intelligence. I grabbed the newly served wine on the table and sipped it. ¡°I¡¯m not marrying yton.¡± They stopped and looked at me. ¡°Why?¡± Judgment brewed in his eyes as quickly as he threw his question at me. ¡°Why do you still believe in an arranged marriage, Gustav, when we are the great example that it didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Well, those who spent a decade together and still divorced. What do you call that?¡± ¡°Does she really have to share the same fate as us? Give her time to live her life. She¡¯s enjoying what she¡¯s doing, making money, getting rich, helping thousands of people. Why do you have to be so cruel?¡± ¡°Am I cruel now?¡± Now they began fighting. I rolled my eyes in disinterest as I toyed with the wine ss. ¡°You¡¯re always cruel. What is that you see in Weston? Money, influence, connections? What about after they get married? Is he going to treat my daughter right? I heard he takes home women every weekend at his penthouse.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s still young and single. He will change once they get engaged. This arrangement has been done since forever.¡± He threw a re at my mother. ¡°Jesus.¡± Mom huffed and emptied her ss before she stood at the corner. ¡°What punishment can you do if I defy your demand, Dad? Another ckmail? Well, I¡¯m buying-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have that kind of money, dear. Your assets are all in Star LLC. You can buy Weston and my shares unless you have seventy million dors in cash and counting. And that¡¯s just us. How about SEAN Inc.? You will also lose their trust, and when it happens, you will lose your seat as the Executive Chairman.¡± I looked away. I didn¡¯t know what to do anymore. I was being hostage by my own doing. I didn¡¯t tell the whole story to Linden because I was ashamed of admitting that the quick growth of mypany blinded me. I signed the contract of marrying yton. Once I turned twenty-five, I would be engaged to him three months from now. Or I would return his father¡¯s investment with 30 percent interest on thetest revenue. ¡°Is there a way to revoke the contract?¡± my mother asked. ¡°No. The only way she can do it is if she pays back, and she would lose fifteen percent of her share, making Weston the major shareholder. So it¡¯s better she sells it if she would just lose by paying that amount. My advice from the beginning is to marry him.¡± ¡°Unless yton is the one who backs out with the marriage,¡± I added, giving me an idea, but knowing yton, I didn¡¯t think it would work for him. ¡°You can just call yourwyers that you were mentally incapacitated during the contract signing, and your father would be your witness.¡± ¡°Do you want me to lie?¡± Dad asked my mom. ¡°For once, do something right for your daughter, for God¡¯s sake, Gustav.¡± ¡°She¡¯s making this difficult for herself when she knows she has no choice but to marry yton.¡± He turned to me. ¡°You¡¯re turning twenty-five, Estelle. Commit to what you signed up for. You will get engaged by the end of this month.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡± I rose to my feet and picked up my bag. ¡°I have three months to have fun.¡± Thankfully, they didn¡¯t stop me. I met Quinn outside the car. Judging by my face, he knew what happened inside the house didn¡¯t end well. ¡°Take me somewhere but here.¡± ¡°I know just a ce.¡± He drove silently, and I didn¡¯t ask where to go. I trusted him. I rested my head and closed my eyes because I began to have a headache. It wasn¡¯t the wine. It was my life that I realized I had just sold my soul to the devil and got hostage by my own ambitions and stupidity, and I knew there was no way of redeeming it back. I didn¡¯t know how long it passed when Quinn slowed the car down and eventually parked. I straightened in my seat. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°Restobar. They have good burgers here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can eat anymore for tonight.¡± ¡°Come on. You should try it.¡± He literally dragged me out of the car. ¡°Fine.¡± When we got inside, it wasn¡¯t that bad. The smell seemed mouthwatering, and I hadn¡¯t had burgers in forever. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have a table at the corner.¡± ¡°Really. Do you need reservations, too?¡± ¡°Nope. Guys are here.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Guys, you¡¯rete,¡± Sax just called us out, waving his hand. Crap. ¡°Oh, boy.¡± The man I should have been avoiding just got up from his seat and walked toward us. He smiled, really smiled at me. At the corner of my eye, Quinn left and said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Hey, beautiful.¡± He cupped my head and pressed his lips into mine in a quick but toe-curling kiss. Oh, my God. This man wouldn¡¯t just give up. Chapter 21 LINDEN ¡°You didn¡¯t even touch your beer. That¡¯s a first.¡± I dipped the fries into the ketchup, ignoring Kye¡¯s eyes on me. ¡°Boss, are you okay?¡± ¡°I wish everyone could just stop asking me the same question.¡± Kye and Sax shared a look as if they might notice the exhaustion in my voice. ¡°Okay, fine. Is everything all right, mate?¡± Sax turned his head sharply to Kye, blinking. His British ent was on point, making me chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping with Brit, are you?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t ask him if he¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just concerned with our buddy here.¡± He tipped his chin at me. ¡°He seemed not himselftely.¡± ¡°Whoa.¡± My eyes widened a little. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. I haven¡¯t gone to the gym in days. My ass was stuck in the office for the whole week because I had to finish the paperwork I left before I went to Italy.¡± ¡°And you had wine and dine with Terzo fucking Siciliano.¡± If I didn¡¯t know Sax, I thought he was jealous, but he knew he had nothing to worry about because my loyalty remained to them. They were my brothers. ¡°Ignore him. He¡¯s PMSing and has to keep his heart in check because he knows he can¡¯t ask Padi out.¡± Kye watched Sax¡¯s reaction as he mentioned Hope. ¡°If you like her, take a leap, brother,¡± I said to encourage him. I didn¡¯t give a shit about policies anymore as long as I knew they would be happy and it wouldn¡¯t affect their work. ¡°I don¡¯t like her,¡± he replied defensively. ¡°I just like pissing her off and watching her ears turn red.¡± I shared an incredulous look with Kye. Was he fucking kidding me? It was obvious he liked Hope. I could swear he just had no clue. ¡°Jesus. You¡¯re the dumbest man I know.¡± Kye tsked and shook his head. When he focused back on me, I drank a ss of water. ¡°You, on the other hand-¡± ¡°Have a lot of work to do, run Osmium, or we would end up homeless, jobless, and penniless, and still be in a huge debt.¡± ¡°No. We¡¯re not doing this. Come on, brother. I may look dumb and a piece of shit, but you can¡¯t just shut us out when you literally need someone to talk the shit out of your-¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Sax cut in. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of shit. I know you like Estelle. What¡¯s the problem? I couldn¡¯t remember thest time you had this look on you like your cat just died.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a dog person.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a dog, but whatever, and you got my point.¡± ¡°She likes me, but she doesn¡¯t want to be with me because of that fucking asshole Weston. She¡¯s arranged to him.¡± ¡°Shit. Not this again.¡± Sax had the same look as Kye. They looked in pain and confused. ¡°Why the fuck do these rich people practice this awful tradition when they aren¡¯t even old-fashion? Like, damn. Poor kids. They have enough huge shoes to fill, and their safety is at stake, and not to mention they never experience to grow how normal kids do.¡± I opened my mouth to say but had to close it back when Sax raised a finger to stop me. ¡°Don¡¯t ever say it¡¯s to strengthen their power, keep the money running, merge businesses, or make future heirs. Smells like bullshit to me. What about their mental health, their feelings? Money can¡¯t buy happiness, bro.¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± I asked him. ¡°Not even close, but you seemed to have given up already. ¡°I have to.¡± ¡°Maybe you should sire her an heir.¡± Kye barked outughing, his voice echoing in the entire resto-bar. He stood up to apologize before he stared at Sax. ¡°Are you reading erotic paranormal romance novels?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sax grimaced. ¡°Where did thate from?¡± ¡°Fine. Yeah,¡± he finally admitted. ¡°Padi quoted me something like if I could dream at all. It wouldn¡¯t be about you. I was stupid, and my mind went nk, but I tried to impress her. I said, Lao Tzu? Sheughed at me like she reallyughed at me, tears filling the corner of her eyes. That¡¯s why I liked pissing her off.¡± I joined Kye inughing. ¡°Who said it?¡± ¡°Edward fucking Cullen.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A guy from Twilight.¡± ¡°Twilight Zone?¡± Kye asked. ¡°No. The Twilight Saga. I watched the entire series in one night. It was dumb and cringy but entertaining somehow. I mean, she died, came back to life so beautiful, and became a vampire.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I raised my hand. ¡°We got it. So, you did that to Padi?¡± ¡°No. I was just curious.¡± ¡°Why would someone watch the entire-¡± ¡°Five films.¡± ¡°Five fucking films?¡± Kye was even more shocked than me. ¡°And you call it curiosity? I think you are in love with Padi. You¡¯re obviously dumb if you don¡¯t even know how you feel about her.¡± ¡°Just shut up. Our focus is on our boss here.¡± I checked my watch. It was still early, but I wasn¡¯t ready to discuss my not-so-important issue. ¡°I¡¯m calling it a night.¡± Just when I was about to stand up when Sax called out, Estelle just appeared, with Quinn catching everyone¡¯s attention, including me. I was on my feet before I even realized it. Because fuck me, she was even more gorgeous than thest time I had her in my home. She just took my breath away, and my heart did a little thumping inside my chest. ¡°Hey, beautiful.¡± I took the opportunity of her shocking moment by cupping her face and kissing her quickly before she could resist. ¡°You¡¯re here for the burgers or me?¡± Quinn went to the guys, leaving me and Estelle alone in the aisle. She smiled timidly, and I had a feeling that the dinner with her father made some leery progress. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Quinn would bring me here, and you¡¯re also here,¡± she said breathlessly. ¡°I don¡¯t call it a coincidence.¡± ¡°You could say that. How¡¯s the dinner with your father?¡± ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t bring that up.¡± Her gaze averted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°You should try their burger.¡± I ced a hand on her back, but she didn¡¯t move. ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, I need to talk to you.¡± I stared down at her. Her eyes filled with worry and fear. ¡°This can¡¯t wait? I was just leaving. Come home with me, and then we¡¯ll talk. Just the two of us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea.¡± I felt the pain in her voice. Her hesitation, on the other hand, didn¡¯t affect me that much. ¡°Why? I promise to keep my hands to myself. We¡¯ll just talk.¡± When she seemed became ufortable, I nodded. ¡°Just a minute. Stay here if you don¡¯t wanna join the guys.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. Thanks.¡± I went to the cashier and pointed at our table. ¡°Table is on me. Send the bill to my office.¡± ¡°Got it, boss.¡± She saluted. I was a regr, and she already knew me and Osmium guys. ¡°Thanks.¡± I went back to Estelle, still in the same spot, but Quinn kept an eye on her the whole time. I gestured at him that I would be outside with her. ¡°What¡¯s going on, baby?¡± I asked the moment we were out of the resto-bar, but she hadn¡¯t given me an answer, it was unnerving, but I swore it seemed hard for her too. Once we reached her car, she finally faced me. The look on her face alone, I couldn¡¯t take it. I had to close my eyes for a brief moment, or I might just break down before her. For our short time in that ind, I unlocked something I had never felt in a long time. I learned to be more patient, I learned something about myself, what I was capable of, and what chances meant for everyone. I began to care deeply for her and realized what we had meant more than anything to me. ¡°I can¡¯t see you anymore.¡± Her words seemed vile, burning in my throat, a blunt knife in my chest, a bullet in my gut. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be turning twenty-five in three months.¡± ¡°Advance happy birthday.¡± But that wasn¡¯t exactly what she meant. ¡°I¡¯m getting married as soon as I turn that age.¡± ¡°I thought you were not ready to be a wife.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± I squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them, I stared directly into her eyes. I would sound desperate, but who gave a shit. I was desperate and running out of options. ¡°Then we get married.¡± She gave me a wary look. ¡°I can¡¯t be with you.¡± ¡°Fuck them, Estelle. Why would you let them control your life? We¡¯re already a big cruel world. The least you can do is resist, be bold, be strong, and face the current.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± she yelled, but she tried hard not to burst to cry. Still, her eyes were red. Her chin trembled. ¡°Of course, you can. You¡¯re the strongest woman I know. You are capable of anything if you believe in it. You believed once that you could make a difference and then built yourpany, and then you just gave up because your damn father and that asshole asked you to?¡± ¡°Because I signed a contract!¡± She snapped and caught me off guard. I narrowed at her. ¡°What do you mean you signed a contract? What contract?¡± ¡°I will lose mypany to them if I won¡¯t marry yton.¡± ¡°Why the fuck did you do that?¡± I blinked in confusion, frowning. ¡°Exactly.¡± She shook her head. She looked so lost and couldn¡¯t even look at me anymore. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s over. What done is done.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± I swallowed hard. It fucking suck that she gave up easily. ¡°You¡¯re still not married to him, Estelle. You still have a chance to right that mistake.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do this to me, Gabriel.¡± Her voice was low, almost a plea. ¡°You do this to yourself, baby.¡± ¡°Stop calling me that.¡± ¡°No can do. And I didn¡¯t do anything. The only thing I did is care so much about you that I would give up everything I have to get you out of your mess, whether you let me or not.¡± ¡°Gabriel, please?¡± A single tear rolled down her cheek. I was quick to wipe it with my thumb and cupped her face. ¡°Hate me however you want, and I know it sucks where we are right now, but you can¡¯t push me away anymore because you are arranged to that asshole. I have you once, Estelle. I will have you again, hopefully, mine till the end of my life.¡± Chapter 22 ESTELLE Going with him wasn¡¯t a part of the n. In fact, I wanted to run away from him, but here I was, throwing away any doubt out the window, or out rather out of his window, kissing him all the way back to his room. Never had I ripped off my coat so fast, kicked my shoes off, and tossed carelessly off my clothes on the floor while Linden did the same on hisst sock. We barely caught our breath. We were back on each other as I hopped back into his arms. He caught me quickly, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as we kissed like we hadn¡¯t seen in years. I admired his reflex, though. Linden sat me down carefully on his well-made bed. His lips moved slowly down my jaw to my neck, nibbling, sucking, licking the spot. My hands went to his head, fisting handfuls of his hair. Then he went to my breast as if he couldn¡¯t get enough of it, his free hand on the other, cupping, kneading, rolling my nipple between his fingers, making me squirm under him. ¡°Gabriel, I want you now,¡± I said when the pain and pressure intensified. ¡°Impatient, are we?¡± He lifted his head, smirking, his hair was messy, and he still looked hot, and he was hard and heavy between my thighs. ¡°Don¡¯t kill the mood, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± He came to me, lifting my leg as he positioned his length in my entrance. ¡°I will take you slowly until you can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± ¡°Promises promises.¡± My breathing caught up. My skin already tingled, and my clit throbbed in anticipation. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Slipping his hands behind my head, he took his time kissing me, gliding his tongue into my mouth and his cock simultaneously into my entrance as if he wasmitting himself to do me all night. I moaned at how deliberately slow he moved, but I felt every inch of him inside me, every lick and swirl of his tongue in my mouth. I countered him in a desperate move, but he never gave me what I wanted. Despite that, I was soaked, dripping wet. I loved and hated what he did. I loved it because it felt so incredibly good, but I hated that it made me ache further. As my need grew and grew, he still denied me, and he certainly knew how to drive me crazy. I gripped his hair to look at me. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± ¡°I want you to remember me. I want you to feel what it¡¯s like to be with me that you could never have with another man.¡± Pissed off, I groaned. ¡°You¡¯re making a record, huh?¡± Genuinely, he smiled as he shook his head. ¡°I already did. You said to stay away, but we¡¯re still here, me locked with you, having the best sex of our lives. You know how incredibly good I am with you.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± I snorted, but he was never offended by my retort. ¡°You¡¯re okay. You just have a big dick.¡± That cracked him up. ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± He got up above me and dragged himself down. Thest thing I knew was his tongue dragging down my belly. ¡°Gabriel, don¡¯t!¡± ¡°You just want my dick. Now you can¡¯t have it.¡± He was torturing me. That kind of torture gave me more orgasms. I wanted to protest, but who would if he could bring me to the stars and beyond, even just for tonight? ¡°God!¡± I jolted as he gave me a long lick up my center. Sobs of pleasure erupted from my throat. Then he flicked his tongue against my clit that had me writhing in seconds. ¡°Your taste is exquisite, baby,¡± he said before licking me clean, then attacking me again with his tongue. This time, he added sucks and groans that had me unraveling. I was still catching my breath, my chest rising and falling. He already mmed into me, so powerful and unstoppable. My voice broke. My throat hurt. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I nodded, couldn¡¯t find the right word that I was beyond okay. ¡°Baby, did I hurt you?¡± ¡°Only my ego.¡± He smiled and pressed his lips against mine. ¡°I thought I couldn¡¯t have your cock.¡± ¡°It¡¯s yours. I¡¯m yours, Estelle.¡± ¡°Good. Now, fuck me.¡± His reply was a hard thrust into me, quick and fast. One moment I was lying on my back, and the next thing I knew, my head was pressed against the pillow, my bottom held up, his palm striking my ass cheek. The sound echoed in his room. It was morbid and erotic. It stung ¡°You look so incredibly hot, face ass pink, flushed, hostage to your desire, drowned to your need.¡± He didn¡¯t waste any more time. He fucked me from behind, and all I could do was shamelessly moan- it just felt so iparably good. My heart hammered so hard. My vision blurred. It didn¡¯t take long- I was fisting the sheets as I was about to have another mind-blowing orgasm. When he pressed his thumb against my forbidden hole, I came undone, screaming his name. ***N?velDrama.Org ? content. I woke up with sore muscles. I lifted his arm carefully off my tummy to avoid waking him. It was still dark outside. The clock on the bedside showed four in the morning. I got up from his bed and went to his bathroom. I peed and washed my face, and used his mouthwash. When I came back, he stirred, and I noticed he had morning wood. I crawled back to bed and took off the nket from him. ¡°Estelle?¡± ¡°Shush.¡± I reached for his cock. He shivered under my touch, giving me a groan in approval. I did steady strokes before I darted my tongue and tested a brief lick. ¡°Baby, you don¡¯t have to- ¡± He groaned again as I brought his erection into my mouth. ¡°Fuck.¡± I shoved it all in. He was thick and long. My jaw ached, my mouth stretched, and I could barely swirl my tongue around his girth, making my eyes water, but I was determined to give him an orgasm. ¡°Fuck. Your mouth is so soft. It feels- ¡± He growled as I bobbed my head up and down and did a good suck. I moaned at his cock stuffed in my mouth, sending good vibrations, throwing out another curse. ¡°Jesus, baby. So fucking good.¡± A deep rumbling sound erupted from his chest, letting out a dreamy murmur. His hand went to my hair, stroking me as he began rocking his hips into my mouth, making sure I wouldn¡¯t gag. ¡°That¡¯s it, baby. Just like that. Don¡¯t stop.¡± I moaned. I was also turned on, wet. ¡°Baby, give me your ass. Sit on my mouth. I want you too,¡± he rushed his words out. I shook my head, sucking him hard, stroking him, and I felt him swell in my mouth. He was closed. I was doing it right, and it encouraged me, making me bold and happy until his groan became feral, turning into a growl as if he was in pain. He was fast to quickly push my head away and jetted off on my chest. ¡°Fuck!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but giggle. I just undid him. ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It was fun.¡± I got up from bed to snatch some tissue from his bedside. ¡°Let me clean you up.¡± ¡°Stay. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I went to the bathroom again to clean up. This time my emotions turned 180. I didn¡¯t want to end this, but I had no choice. I had to. I came back to him. ¡°The best fucking blowjob ever.¡± He had the boldest widest smile on his face. Iughed as I joined and kissed him. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to sleep.¡± ¡°As long as I wake up with you in my arms.¡± Chapter 23 LINDEN Goddamnit! I had no idea it was goodbye. After blowing my mind and sending me to faraway heaven, she fucking left. She didn¡¯t even have the guts to tell me face to face. She waited until I fell asleep before she left. Who would do something like that? When she came with me, I thought she would at least try hard to fight for what she felt about me. I guessed I was wrong, it didn¡¯t matter to her, and I didn¡¯t know her that well. In absolute despair, I read the message, again and again, to make sure she didn¡¯t miss a word or I read it wrong. Gabriel, I¡¯m so sorry, but this is thest time we see each other. I hope you will find someone strong enough to fight for you. You deserve better than me. Estelle ¡°Fuck you.¡± I crumpled the piece of paper and tossed it into the bin. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else.¡± I went back to my bed, where we made love, and I could still smell sex. My chest felt a sudden emptiness. Even the bedroom somehow felt cold and dark. She took all the energy and light with her. As far as I knew, I didn¡¯t fuck things up. This was her fault. I reached for my phone. At least if we did this, I have no regrets. I did everything I could. So I dialed her number, but it went directly to her voicemail. What would I expect? ¡°Estelle, I can¡¯t believe you just broke up with me through a piece of paper. Call me so we can talk. We¡¯re not over. Got it?¡± I ended the call and prayed to God she would change her mind. Since it was Saturday, I went to the gym at Osmium, where all the staff had ess to it. It was pretty cool withplete equipment. I found Kye starting up already. ¡°Hey.¡± I didn¡¯t even recognize my own voice. It sounded gloomy and lifeless. ¡°I¡¯ll pretend you¡¯re not around.¡± Kye worked on the dumbbell. He just noticed I wasn¡¯t in the mood to chat. Unlike Sax, the word limit didn¡¯t exist in his vocabry. I did my warm-up and started sweating. I lifted some weight. It didn¡¯t work, though. My mind was not set on it. I still felt the heaviness in my chest. After a few minutes, and nothing happened, I gave up. I ignored Kye¡¯s eyes on me and left the gym. I went for a quick shower and changed into a shirt and jeans. ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± Kye followed me to the locker. ¡°I thought you might going to join me in the shower. I waited for a couple of minutes.¡± He chuckled at my sarcasm. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna ask if you¡¯re okay. I can feel that you¡¯re not. It¡¯s Saturday. Why don¡¯t we go see Beck.¡± Bad idea. ¡°He¡¯s probably busy. You know him, even weekends, he never stops working.¡± ¡°Says the kettle to the pot. Then you don¡¯t have any excuse not to be at Cade¡¯s tonight.¡± ¡°Sure. See youter.¡± I pped his back before I picked up my gym bag. ¡°Bro,¡± he called my name. ¡°You know, you can always talk to me.¡± I stopped for a moment. ¡°I know. Later.¡± After the gym, I dropped by a convenience store. This was probably the dumbest idea, but I needed a drink, and it was early in the morning. I bought some strong poison before I went home. I¡¯d never felt so alone as I entered the house. It even felt haunted. The eerily silence was unsettling. I could hear my own breathing. I sat on the couch, turned the tv on, and started watching the football rey. If there was one thing Striker and I disagreed was the sports we liked. He liked ser, and I like American football, so when I was in his house, he could find me in the entertainment room instead in the living. One thing I cared about myself was I always bnced healthy and junk food, but right now, I could care any less. I needed to get drunk and moped where no one else could interrupt me. I was halfway to the first bottle. It is ssic, my father¡¯s favorite. I remembered he hid a bottle in his garage. Yeah, aside from cooking, Pops liked old cars. As soon as I got my first paycheck after the Firm rebranded to Osmium, I went to the car show and bought him a Chevy Chevelle. It was a babe. *** I groaned at a constant nudging on my shoulder. My eyes were so heavy I couldn¡¯t even force myself to open them. I felt numbness in my legs, and my neck seemed stiff. I had the worse headache in history, and my mouth was so parched like someone had left me in the desert. ¡°What?¡± I groaned again. I felt like punching someone right now. ¡°The fuck do you want?¡± I waited for the reply, but I heard nothing other than footsteps- more than one, but I did recognize the expensive cologne. Then sses clinking followed. ¡°What the hell is going on with you?¡± I cursed under my breath, forcing my eyes to crack. My cheeks and ears burned to see Moses standing before me with the same unimpressed look I saw when Striker wanted to give Linus the taste of his own medicine. ¡°I missed the Taco Saturday, ain¡¯t I?¡± I straightened my body on the couch, stretched my arms, and swallowed hard. ¡°You¡¯re worried about missing Taco Saturday but not yourself? Look at you. You look like shit.¡± His deep and angry tone carried in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really.¡± I cleared my throat. I felt like I could drink a liter of water. ¡°I say it¡¯s bullshit, son. I know what¡¯s going on. I asked Kye to look after you because you seemed not yourself. I told him not to stop you when you bought alcohol early in the morning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. Thanks for checking up on me.¡± I met his gaze. He was still not impressed, his eyebrows drawn together. ¡°You have a family. If you don¡¯t wanna open up to your brothers, I¡¯m always here or have dinner with Wi or see your father. Alcohol won¡¯t solve whatever you¡¯re going through right now, Gabe.¡± ¡°Thanks for the advice. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± My gaze fell onto the table. Someone already cleaned up the bottles. My guess? His men. ¡°I told Briggs to empty them in the sink. You¡¯re not gonna waste your life and time drinking in sorrow. Get up, shower, and put somefortable clothes on. We have somewhere to go.¡± I knew I had let him down when he used that authoritative tone. ¡°I can¡¯t, boss. I¡¯m sorry. I have a terrible headache.¡± My poor excuse didn¡¯t budge him. Of course, I should know it by now not to piss off the big boss. I swallowed hard, and a slight nausea of embarrassment filled my throat. ¡°You wille willingly, or I will let my men drag you out of this house.¡± When he didn¡¯t move, I realized he wasn¡¯t joking even the slightest. ¡°Okay, but where are we going?¡± ¡°Just get in the shower, Gabriel.¡± He didn¡¯t call me by that name unless his patience was running thin. ¡°All right.¡± I quickly rose to my feet even if my head was hammering. I took two steps at a time upstairs. ¡°Take some painkillers, Gabriel!¡± he yelled from downstairs. ¡°Got it.¡± Twenty minutester, I went down, groomed. We stepped outside the house to find two ck Tahoe and a Mercedes. Sometimes, Moses still appalled me at how rich he was, yet he still cared for the welfare of his son¡¯s friends. ¡°Let me drive,¡± I volunteered when he opened the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°In your state of mind? No, thank you. Get in the car.¡± Still astounded, I got into the passenger¡¯s seat. And I couldn¡¯t believe he was driving me to wherever hell he was throwing me into, and I felt like I was not going to enjoy it. ¡°I found a new house for sale. It was a good deal.¡± ¡°Why do you want more houses?¡± Stupid question, really, but I was trying to make a conversation instead of sulking in my own despair. ¡°You should buy your own, Gabriel. You already have enough in your bank ount to buy my tower. You should ept the fact you¡¯re rich. And I told you to get your own bodyguard, but you didn¡¯t listen. When threats arise, you can¡¯t depend on your skills to save your life.¡± ¡°No thanks. I like my lowkey house and not-soplicated life.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°What about your not-soplicated love life?¡± I chuckled as I looked outside the window, but it came out spiteful. ¡°You mean my non-existence love life?¡± ¡°Son, if you trust me, I can help you. And don¡¯t pretend that you don¡¯t know what I am talking about. And I know you two broke up.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rtionship to break up in the first ce,¡± I still denied, even if it hurt like a motherfucker. ¡°We just metst week. We barely know each other. I call it a fling.¡± ¡°Then I call it bullshit.¡± After a few minutes of silence, he announced, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± I looked through the windshield. The iron gate door slid. ¡°This is beauty.¡± ¡°With an outstanding and safe neighborhood.¡± He parked the car in the driveway of the three-story stone residence. I got out, still puzzled why he had to take me here to see the house when he had his estate, and I knew Striker wasn¡¯t interested in taking that home even if it had been Braddson¡¯s for generations. But I guessed this was a good investment. ¡°Do you like it? When you enter the house for the first time, you will feel it is calling you, weing you to call it home. Let¡¯s get inside.¡± ¡°I get what you mean. I felt that when I first checked my house. That¡¯s why I bought it.¡± We entered the entrance. The living room was spacious, with a nice interior andplete furniture. ¡°Do you like modern?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I nodded. ¡°I think this is pretty cool.¡± ¡°Good. With a pretty state-of-the-art security system from Hover Security¡¯stest tech. What do you say?¡± ¡°For you, nothing is impossible. Are you leaving the estate?¡± ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. ¡°This is your wedding gift.¡± ¡°What?¡± For a brief moment, I stared at him in shock. ¡°What do you mean my wedding gift? I don¡¯t have a bride, boss.¡± I swallowed hard at the fact that he was asking the impossible. ¡°Lately, your views in life have changed. I watched you without you even noticing it. The way you looked at your brothers, extremely happy with their lives. You stopped sleeping anymore. That was when I realized you¡¯ve matured in just several months. I knew then that you wanted to settle down, so I grabbed this chance. This would be perfect for you and your wife.¡± I shook my head in disbelief as Iughed. ¡°You do realize I don¡¯t have a bride.¡± ¡°Let me take care of it.¡± ¡°No.¡± I let go of a harsh breath. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do anything. And I can¡¯t ept this.¡± I threw my hands in the air. ¡°This is just too much, boss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already in your name. And I don¡¯t ept no for an answer. Regarding your bride, I¡¯m giving you a month to pursue her. If you can¡¯t win her back, you can¡¯t stop me, Gabriel.¡± You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me. ¡°What exactly is your n?¡± Chapter 24 ESTELLE ¡°Estelle.¡± A snap of fingers on my face brought me back to reality. ¡°Hey. Are you okay?¡± Micah¡¯s eyebrows were drawn together, then pulled back. ¡°Yeah. Sorry.¡± I blinked. ¡°I¡¯ve been calling your name, but you seemed in deep thought.¡± I looked down at the shade of lipstick I was trying to mix. It came out candy red when what I wanted was vermilion. ¡°I think you need a break. Should I book you a spa?¡± I shook my head and began mixing again. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I have to reset my eyesight. I¡¯ll be just outside.¡± I quickly stood up. Suddenly everything spun around me, almost knocking me off the ground. I might have found my butt on the floor if it weren¡¯t for Micah. ¡°Hey, hey. Deep breath. Close your eyes for a few seconds.¡± I did as she said, shutting my eyes close and everything around me and doing deep breathing. ¡°You¡¯re pale. Have you been sleeping welltely? I think you might just lose a few pounds.¡± I cracked my eyes open. ¡°I slept well. My appetite is good, and I don¡¯t think I lost weight. I just weighed yesterday.¡± I just lied. I hadn¡¯t slept well since I left Linden¡¯s housest week. I was a coward and left a breakup note. I hadn¡¯t returned his calls either. Though I listened to his voicemails, I couldn¡¯t give us hope when it would only hurt us in the end. The line between her brows deepened. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you. Just go home and take a rest for the whole day. No working at home. I¡¯ll call your driver.¡± I nodded. ¡°I know what taking a rest means, Micah.¡± A small smile appeared on her lips. Her brown eyes lit up. ¡°Do you need anything before you go home?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Latest issue of Vogue, yummy ice cream vor, strawberries, chocte?¡± Just mentioning chocte reminded me of him. Jeez, I should really do yoga and ptes. ¡°I¡¯m good. I¡¯m sure I have ice cream and strawberries at home. I¡¯ll text my driver.¡± Yeah, Quinn was gone to whatever adventure he had. I was sure he was happy to be out of my hair, considering he wouldn¡¯t be alone on the job. Yesterday, Linden gave up. He stopped sending me voicemails and messages. I could bet a penny. He had moved on, and maybe he had gone searching for his bride all over the world right now. He should go out there and find the best woman for him. And honestly, he was a good man deserving of a good woman without baggage. I must have been so tired that I fell asleep quickly after putting my head on the pillow. I woke up at seven and still felt lethargic. I dialed Micah. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re up?¡± ¡°Yeah. How are you feeling?¡± Micah was always enthusiastic, no matter how hectic her day was. I liked that kind of vibe in the workce. When she appeared in my office for the first time, I knew she would be a good assistant. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m calling you. I think I¡¯m sick.¡± ¡°Let me call your doctor. And I¡¯ming over.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have toe. I have staff in the house.¡± ¡°I know, but I have nothing to do at home, and it¡¯s my job. See you soon, bye.¡± I sighed before I got up and went to the bathroom. I checked myself in the mirror. Micah was right. I was pale. After cleaning up, I went back to my bed and scanned through emails and messages. Yeah, he gave up. After an hour, Micah arrived, and the family doctor, Dr. Scott. ¡°I¡¯m here. I brought you dinner,¡± Micah announced. ¡°Do you realize I have a chef?¡± I sat on the bed, feeling grateful. ¡°I¡¯m aware. I¡¯ll let Dr. Scott check you up. I¡¯ll be in the living.¡± ¡°Thanks, Micah.¡± Dr. Scott was very thorough from head to toe. ¡°Do you wake up in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°Yeah, sometimes to pee, then I had terribly falling back to sleep this past few days, so I went to the study to work.¡± ¡°How about your appetite?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the same.¡± Then I thought again. ¡°Sometimes I missed lunch, though, so I just ate sd.¡± ¡°Do you feel any pain, abdominal difort, headache, dizziness, heartburn, or chest pain?¡± ¡°Just dizziness. It was probably from sitting too long.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pale, Estelle, and in your lower eyelids. I¡¯ll withdraw the blood sample and get the result quickly. By then, I can decide whether you need another diagnostic.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Do you want spills to sleep?¡± He tried to distract me before he injected the needle into my vein. ¡°Ouch.¡± I winced. It wasn¡¯t painful, but I hated needles. I shook my head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Done. Warm milk is always effective, decaf green tea, camomile, coconut water, calming music.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like milk.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Is your period regr? Is it heavy?¡± I stared at him in shock. I swallowed hard before I replied, but my mind went nk. ¡°We¡¯ll find it out. Don¡¯t worry, Estelle.¡± He patted my hand. I drew a deep breath before I spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I should have been having my period a week ago. I still haven¡¯t, and I always have regr periods.¡± Oh, my God! God, I hoped not, or I would lose everything. We never used condoms once, and I took my pills every day until I slept in his house and missed a day. Shit. I closed my eyes, trying to calm down because deep inside, I started panicking, but Dr. Scott told me to do breathing exercises. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be okay, dear.¡± I nodded as I looked at the old doctor. ¡°Can you keep whatever the result between us?¡± ¡°Dear.¡± He looked at me through his sses. ¡°Doctor-patient confidentiality, unless you have a life-threatening disease, but it¡¯s still up to you to tell your family and loved ones.¡± ¡°Appreciate it.¡± ¡°Do you need anything else before I go?¡± ¡°What if I¡¯m pregnant?¡± He smiled. ¡°I will rmend a good obstetrician for you.¡± I smiled back timidly. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. Call me if you feel sick, even just a slight dizziness.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Do you mind?¡± Micah came in and sat on the edge of the bed once the good doctor left. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°So, what did he say?¡± ¡°I have to wait for the result, and he said I¡¯m pale, but he can¡¯t diagnose until he has the blood result.¡± I kept the viral information to myself. ¡°I¡¯m sure nothing serious. You just worked hard, your body screamed for a break, but you never listened.¡± Iughed softly. ¡°It¡¯s really good to have you here, Micah.¡± ¡°If you want, I can take full advantage of the guest room.¡± My brows shot up. ¡°Kidding. You have to loosen up a bit,dy boss.¡± She giggled. ¡°I was actually thinking. It¡¯s a good idea. I always enjoy goodpany. You¡¯re fun, understanding. I know your job is to do what I told you and what¡¯s best for me, but I never see judgment in your eyes but appreciation and sympathy. You have a good heart, Micah. Your parents raised you well.¡± ¡°Just my mom. I don¡¯t know my dad. He bailed us when I was three.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± She suddenly reminded me of Linden. I had to breathe deeply to ignore the pain in my chest. ¡°It was ancient history. Mom worked two jobs to send me to college.¡± ¡°And you did it.¡± ¡°Yeah. When I got my first paycheck, I treated her to a fine restaurant, Jay Den.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± She beamed as if she got an idea. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner and maybe watch something?¡± I beamed like a stupid. ¡°God, I need a thousand like you.¡± Sheughed out loud as she got up from the bed. ¡°I¡¯m not enough?¡± ¡°You are. I think it¡¯s an advantage to have an assistant your age. You¡¯re rtable and fun. It¡¯s really hard to find true friends when your family is loaded. Thank you for being here, not just as my employee but as a person, a friend.¡± I had Chinese. ¡°I don¡¯t know it¡¯s this good.¡± ¡°Oh, it depends on the restaurant, but the one close to my apartment is the best. It¡¯s clean, and the owner knows me already, so I called ahead of time because the shop is always jump-pack, and it will take time for delivery.¡± She stopped and eyed me as if I hade from another. ¡°You haven¡¯t had Chinese?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Let me guess, in a five-star?¡± I smiled shyly. ¡°Oh, girl. You¡¯re missing a lot. Do you eat burgers?¡±Jeez, there you are again.Everything seemed to remind me of him. ¡°I think I¡¯m pregnant.¡± ¡°What?¡± Her brown eyes nearly popped from its socket, but I didn¡¯t see judgments. ¡°Wow. For real?¡± ¡°I¡¯m dyed. Of course, you know how it happened because I definitely never had IVF treatment.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. I might as well have an idea who the baby daddy is.¡± I nodded as I looked down at the Chinese. I couldn¡¯t believe I almost ate it all. ¡°If you are, are you gonna tell him?¡± ¡°No. Never.¡± ¡°I may be out of line here, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea even if you are capable of raising your own kid.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I will keep it. I haven¡¯t thought about it, actually,¡± I admitted. I was not in denial. ¡°I knew what I did. I knew I was reckless but still risked it because I really liked him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Linden, isn¡¯t it?¡± I looked at her, really looked at her. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°He¡¯d been calling the office every day for the entire week. Just yesterday, he stopped. He said he¡¯s going somewhere, but if there¡¯s any development, quote-unquote, he said to try to reach him out.¡± ¡°Have you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re paying me to do the job. I may like him, but I can¡¯t just share info about your personal stuff. So the answer is no.¡± ¡°No one can know.¡± Chapter 25 LINDEN ¡°Do it again!¡± I yelled through the microphone from the upper deck. I was disappointed. They had been doing it since morning and still couldn¡¯t perfect the simtion, and one or two of them could still be dead. ¡°They need a break,¡± Sax said. ¡°No. They do it to save their asses when what they should be doing is working together. They¡¯re a team, and they haven¡¯t realized that. Jesus.¡± I red down as they came together and talked about another strategy. ¡°Then tell them.¡± ¡°No. They need to realize and figure it out themselves.¡± Sax eyed me. ¡°I think you¡¯re throwing your anger to your men.¡± ¡°Do you think this is about me?¡± I red at him. ¡°I hadn¡¯t had a good sleep in a week, and it made me cranky, but they need to learn. The training isn¡¯t just about rescuing or protecting. It¡¯s about saving their teammates¡¯ lives and getting all home safe and sound to their loved ones. Do you know how it feels knowing they trusted their lives on me and got out there to the most dangerous job every day? As much as I love making money and raising their sry, it¡¯s useless if one of them loses a life. And I always feel like I live hanging by a thread because I don¡¯t know how to share that news with their families if one of them gets hurt badly or, worse, LODD. That¡¯s why I am doing what I am doing for them to be focused and be logical.¡± ¡°They heard it loud and clear.¡± Sax grinned. ¡°What the fuck?¡± My nose red. I didn¡¯t realize he turned on the mic while I was talking to him. ¡°How much did they hear?¡± ¡°Since you gave me that cold and hard re.¡± ¡°Fuck you. They shouldn¡¯t have heard that.¡± ¡°That serves them as their motivation.¡± He just shrugged it off. ¡°Let¡¯s start it over,¡± the team leader announced. In less than ten minutes, they executed it perfectly. Sax pped his hands to apud Team Chimera. ¡°That¡¯s all for today. Thank you.¡± He then turned to me. ¡°So, can we go home now? I miss Wilder.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve only been here for two days here in Virginia for our three days trip. You¡¯re already eager to go back. Are you sure it¡¯s Kye you missed or my assistant?¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re making excuses to avoid talking about your issue with Estelle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an issue. She dumped me. Everyone gets dumped. We broke up. What¡¯s there to mope about?¡± ¡°Because you like her. And you¡¯re still in denial.¡± We sat at the empty table in the cafeteria. ¡°I didn¡¯t deny that. We¡¯re not just meant to be.¡± ¡°I smell bullshit even over a mile. You both are perfect for each other. Like made in heaven kind of shit.¡± ¡°Sir, Mr. Linden,¡± the team leader, Camden, stood before us. ¡°I just wanna say, I appreciate what you said back there. Maybe we just worked too hard to impress you and missed the important part in realbat. Thank you, sir.¡± I nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. There¡¯s always room for improvement. In due time, you¡¯ll be a good leader out there, Camden. That¡¯s why I chose you myself.¡± ¡°Thanks, boss. Sorry for the interruption.¡± Camden left, and I noticed Sax was still staring at me. ¡°Don¡¯t fall for me. How are you and Hope?¡± ¡°Have you ever tried sending her flowers, texting, or visiting her in the office? You know her address. It¡¯s always good to surprise a girl.¡± ¡°Coming from someone who chickened out all the time, I don¡¯t think I would take your advice, Sax.¡± Heughed softly. ¡°I¡¯m serious. Why did you two break up? Aside from what everyone already knows, she¡¯s arranged to the assholepdog.¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to lose Star LLC.¡± ¡°Oh, shit. That¡¯s even beyond myprehension, man. I¡¯m sorry. I wish I could help.¡± ¡°Kye went through digging up the secret of Star LLC. He told me yesterday. I shouldn¡¯t have told everyone about this, even Striker or Moses, but I guess I trust you to keep your mouth shut.¡± ¡°Cross my heart. You have my word, brother.¡± He did a lip-zip sign. ¡°It¡¯s to be confirmed, but based on the bank transactions before the Star LLC started, Kye said that the startup money came from Tyrion¡¯s pocket.¡± ¡°Thepdog¡¯s father.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I let go of one deep sigh, still devastated by how she chose to end our rtionship if I could even call it a rtionship. ¡°Why not from Gustav?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any idea. Maybe he didn¡¯t trust his daughter enough to fund Estelle¡¯s dream. That¡¯s the only thing that made sense.¡± ¡°What an asshole. So Estelle lived on the razor¡¯s edge to build herpany. Now that it¡¯s worth billions, she¡¯s beginning to pay that debt by selling her soul to the devil. That¡¯s unfair, bro.¡± ¡°I know. Estelle was so focused on making her dreampany and trusted everyone around her without realizing they were all sharks and took advantage of her naivety.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have a n to buy some shares? It¡¯s a good payback after how she dumped you through a piece of paper. I¡¯d love to see the look in those big blue eyes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a teenager anymore, asshole.¡± My frown deepened. ¡°You can¡¯t just stand here and do nothing.¡± ¡°What is in the part of she dumped meyou don¡¯t understand?¡± I shot him a re. When he raised his hands, that was the time I sagged back to the chair. ¡°I don¡¯t think.¡± I blew a desperate breath. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can watch her with someone else, let alone thinking how that asshole¡¯s filthy hands all over her.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s make a n. Let¡¯s kidnap her or that wastrel. He still depends on his father¡¯s pocket, right? Maybe you should pay him to shut up and agree not to marry Estelle.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± *** ¡°Hey, Pops.¡± My father stilled for a while before he lifted his gaze from whatever he was checking under the hood of his car. ¡°Is your car okay?¡± ¡°You look like shit.¡± He shut the hood close. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. I went to pull him into a hug. ¡°Can¡¯t Ie to see my father?¡± ¡°After almost two months? You wouldn¡¯t juste over and leave your giant donut behind.¡± He hugged me back and patted my back. Iughed. I couldn¡¯t believe the giant donut would crack me up. ¡°The giant donut wouldn¡¯t go anywhere.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Did you see your sister?¡± ¡°Two weeks ago.¡± ¡°She called me every now and then. She also told me about a girl you¡¯re seeing.¡± Shit. The terrible thing about Wi, she didn¡¯t know how to lie. ¡°We broke up.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s sad. Your sister said she likes her. What¡¯s her name? Star?¡± ¡°Estelle.¡± ¡°Same. Estelle means star.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡± I followed him inside our old family house. He may renovate a few, but those old beautiful memories were still intact in my head. ¡°Why did you two break up?¡± ¡°Can we not talk about it? It¡¯s in the past. And I swear Wi can¡¯t shut her mouth up.¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯te over to talk about what¡¯s been bothering you or your heartbreak.¡± He picked up two sses, ced them on the kitchen ind, and got a freshly squeezed jar of pomegranate. ¡°It¡¯s been weeks, Pops. I just came from VA, and I thought to drop by.¡± I picked up the jar and poured juice two the sses. ¡°Just cut the bull, son.¡± ¡°It was just a brief rtionship. Nothing¡¯s serious,¡± I still denied to defend my bruised ego. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how long. It¡¯s how you feel for each other when around. You are old enough to figure out the difference between just a fling or could lead to something more special. Do you still miss her?¡± I ignored him and drank half of the juice instead. ¡°I take that as a yes.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. She¡¯s getting engaged in a few weeks. In a few months, she¡¯s married to a billionaire¡¯s son.¡± ¡°You have money, too. Use your money, your connections, and your power. That¡¯s what it¡¯s all about arranged marriage.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re saying that to me.¡± ¡°Life is never fair, Gabe. Otherwise, there¡¯s no hate, no war, no conflicts. You have all the advantages, and if you think she¡¯s worth that fight, you don¡¯t have toe over, showing me your ugly, sad face.¡± ¡°I came here to see you. Really, Pops. I¡¯ve been meaning to visit you or your restaurant.¡± ¡°I was supposed to be there today, but I¡¯m old and need a break,¡± he said dismissively, unimpressed with my denial. ¡°Good idea. Your restaurant is doing great with or without you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give you any advice, buting from a single parent who raised two great kids, all I can say is follow this.¡± He poked my chest. ¡°This never lies. Your brain makes you overthink the simplest answer.¡± ¡°Thanks, Pops.¡± ¡°So, are you staying for dinner?¡± ¡°If you cook for us, yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna be okay, son.¡± He gripped my shoulder. ¡°Trust me. You¡¯ll get your girl back.¡± Dad took out some ingredients from the fridge when my phone rang. My eyes widened in surprise. My finger even shook to press the answer button. ¡°Hey.¡± Then all I heard was just noises like wind gusts. ¡°Hello? Estelle, is that you?¡± ¡°Oh, my God. Did my- Hello?¡± Her voice sounded like she was panicking. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Gabriel, erm-¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Nothing¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s my phone. I might have forgotten to lock it before I dropped it in my bag. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I was between relieved and hurt at the same time that her phone had dialed my number by fucking ident. ¡°Good to hear your voice, though. How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. Thanks. You?¡± For a moment, there was a hesitation in there. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m with my father.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m really sorry for the interruption. Have a great time with your father.¡± ¡°Estelle?¡± I swallowed. It was now or never. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really great to hear your voice. Maybe we could have coffee some times. As friends, of course.¡± ¡°That would be great, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Great. Let me know when you¡¯re free.¡± ¡°Of course. Bye, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Well, that was so subtle. I was grinning the entire when the call ended. I stared at my phone for a few moments. I didn¡¯t know I needed that short conversation to make me feel better. ¡°Trust me. It wasn¡¯t an ident.¡± I lifted my gaze to Pops and chuckled. ¡°She seems okay, though.¡± ¡°She¡¯s checking up on you, son. She wouldn¡¯t have agreed to have coffee with you as friends if you mean nothing to her.¡± Chapter 26 ESTELLE ¡°Tell me, Dr. Scott. Am I dying?¡± Ominous, I asked. I went to his office personally as soon as he said the result was ready. ¡°No, dear. You¡¯re healthy. All you need is Iron and folic acid supplements.¡± ¡°Supplements?¡± My heart skipped a beat. My gut churned. ¡°Yes. Congrattions. You¡¯re pregnant.¡± He beamed at me while I was struck with a myriad of emotions. I didn¡¯t know what to do with them. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± I stared incredulously at my doctor while my hand flew to my abdomen. It was still t, but a tiny human was growing in there. ¡°I am pregnant.¡± I choked back the bile rising in my throat as I shook my head in disbelief. I was quick on my feet and stormed out before I could throw up in his office. I found myself in the restroom, wanting to throw up, but nothing came out except for dread settling in my stomach. I washed my face and mouth and stared at myself in the mirror. My gaze dropped to my abdomen in my dress. Devastation hit me. ¡°Hey. Are you okay?¡± Micah asked as she rubbed my back. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what to feel. I prepared myself no matter the result, but it was overwhelming when Dr. Scott confirmed my suspicion that I was pregnant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gonna be okay, Estelle.¡± ¡°Am I capable of raising a child alone? No doubt, financially, I can support my child, but I don¡¯t even know how to care for a tiny human. I can¡¯t remember thest time I held a baby in my arms. I¡¯m gonna be a terrible mother, Micah.¡± When I was about to burst into cry, Micah hugged me. ¡°It¡¯s okay to feel that way, and I know you¡¯re scared. It¡¯s normal for a first-time mother, and knowing that you¡¯re already thinking of what you should do and worried that you might be a bad mom, you¡¯ve just proven something that you will be the best.¡± I wiped my face dry. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do if you¡¯re not here.¡± ¡°I will be here as long as you need me. It doesn¡¯t have to be about my job. All you need is to reach out.¡± ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much.¡± I forced myself to smile. ¡°Maybe we should go back to Dr. Scott before he thinks we bailed out on him.¡± She fixed my hair. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful. I wish you got the baby¡¯s eyes.¡± A small smile curved up my lips, even if I was still scared. ¡°He got blue eyes, too, you know.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m team Estelle. Your baby¡¯s gonna be perfect.¡± I came back and sat back across from Dr. Scott. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal to react that way. I¡¯ve seen patients cry or jump. I advise you to see Dr. Chesca so that you can see your baby yourself. She¡¯s one of the best obstetricians in town.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I blew a breath. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Great.¡± He wrote something on the file. ¡°Just bring this to her. The report of your blood work. Again congrattions.¡± A few minutester, Micah and I were crossing the other side of the clinic. My heart suddenly beat wildly as I entered another room. I was already dressed in a patient¡¯s gown and ready to do the ultrasonography. ¡°Can shee with me?¡± I asked the nurse. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but tap my fingers while waiting for Dr. Chesca toe. I was lying on the bed as if ready to cut open. ¡°Rx. I can feel your nervousness.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the one having an unwanted pregnancy.¡± ¡°Maybe I should just say, well, that¡¯s what you got of having unprotected sex.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°But babies are the cutest things.¡± ¡°Wait until they cry and have colic.¡± Dr. Chesca just walked in. I raised my head, grimacing, making her smile. ¡°Just kidding. You may encounter cramps and stretchmarks and feels you are ugly because you look like you just swallowed the whole watermelon and have sleepless nights when your baby won¡¯t stop crying.¡± She poured gel on the probe and readied my tummy. ¡°But when she begins to recognize your touch, your voice, your smile, and she smiles at you, everything will be okay. You even love the smell of their mouths early in the morning or the sour smell of their armpit. Everything you sacrificed for is worth it.¡± ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± Micah asked, amused. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be okay, Estelle,¡± Dr. Chesca said as she pointed to the screen. ¡°Do you see that small circle? That¡¯s your baby. The heart will be developed at this stage. You¡¯re almost into four weeks. So far, so good.¡± I couldn¡¯t say a word. My eyes kept staring at the screen. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. A little overwhelmed, but I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°Will I see you next month?¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± I smiled, and somehow, my heart lightened up. ¡°I will prescribe supplements. You know what to avoid eating and drinking, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. No alcohol.¡± ¡°Stay away from stress. I know hormones can be bitchy, but yoga and regr exercise would help your mood. Before you ask me, I wanna tell you now that it¡¯s safe to have sex while pregnant.¡± My cheek burned. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°I noticed in your file that you¡¯re single. It¡¯s not a reason not to raise a child alone and be a good mother. Just an advice, it¡¯s always a better idea to let the father involve if you two are together and wants the baby.¡± ¡°He is.¡± I smiled. *** ¡± Hey.¡± There was a little awkwardness in our heys as we kissed on the cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t change your mind about canceling your nst minute.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Gabriel.¡± We sat across from each other at the cafe. He always looked handsome in his well-tailored crisp suit and tie. ¡°You look good. I really missed you.¡± I swallowed down the guilt in my throat, and he had no idea how much I missed him. ¡°Sorry, but I missed seeing you around. That¡¯s what I meant.¡± I smiled. ¡°I missed you, too. How¡¯s everyone?¡± ¡°They¡¯re good, thanks for asking. They missed you, especially Quinn. He¡¯s overseas right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy for him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a stranger, Estelle. You should text him once and a while.¡± I looked down. The guilt was still in my chest. It felt like I just shut everyone out, including Quinn. ¡°I will. Thanks for reminding me.¡± The waiter came asking for our order. ¡°t white for me. Decaf.¡± I instantly noticed Linden¡¯s reaction. ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°I need to stay away from caffeine. Doctor¡¯s order.¡± I quickly shut my mouth. Crap. ¡°Are you okay?¡± That worried voice always struck me in the chest. ¡°Yeah. Sometimes, I had terrible falling asleep when I woke up in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°Will you tell me if something¡¯s not okay?¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯re friends, right?¡± He just nodded, seemingly not buying my excuse. ¡°ck for me,¡± he said to the waiter but still eyes on me. ¡°Do you need anything else? Chocte cake?¡± I smiled. ¡°Do you have cheesecake?¡± ¡°We do, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°One, please?¡± ¡°Just one.¡± He looked at the water, smiling. I felt like there was something behind that smile. ¡°We¡¯re sharing.¡± As soon as the waiter left, his gaze was too focused, too intense, almost making me squirm. ¡°What?¡± I asked when I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and my face began to warm. ¡°Nothing. I just noticed something different in you.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I swear nothing exciting happened in my lifetely.¡± I just lied- a ginormous fat lie. ¡°So you¡¯re not engaged yet?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°I would really be angry if you won¡¯t invite me to your engagement party.¡± I matched the intensity in his stare. ¡°Don¡¯t start. Don¡¯t make me regret this.¡± ¡°I read your note, by the way.¡± He was quick to change the topic. I admired that in him. ¡°I wonder why I haven¡¯t gotten a single message or a return call. Was that even hard? Really, baby? Breaking up with me over a note. That¡¯s too damn-¡± ¡°Maybe I should note here.¡± My tone deepened. ¡°This was a bad idea from the start anyway.¡± I grabbed my bag, but that damn calm and slow voice stopped me. ¡°Baby, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized with a slow disbelieving shake of his head. I knew he was sincere, always had, but he was also hurting by keeping that hope up. ¡°Don¡¯t, and stop calling me baby. Friends don¡¯t call each other baby.¡± I ignored the tightness in my throat, but it should be done. His mouth opened, wanting to see something, but I waited, and all I got was a nod. I called the waiter. ¡°Estelle, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry too.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am?¡± The waiter came. ¡°We¡¯d like to take our order out.¡± ¡°Right away, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°So I ruined our coffee date or whatever, and you¡¯re-¡± ¡°The weather is good. Let¡¯s talk outside. Do you think your feet can handle a few blocks?¡± He chuckled as he nced down at my stilettos. ¡°Nice shoes, but I¡¯m more worried about your feet.¡± ¡°These feet can stand even a hurricane of difficulties.¡± ¡°But not our rtionship.¡± My eyes narrowed. I hadn¡¯t said anything, but Linden raised his hand to surrender. ¡°My bad. My first at being friend-zoned.¡± He grabbed the bag and our coffee from the waiter and helped me out of the coffee shop. ¡°You should go out on a date then.¡± I grabbed my coffee and sipped it. ¡°I¡¯ll take your advice,¡± he simply replied, sipping his coffee. ¡°Maybe a good idea to go out there and have fun once and a while. I should put the dating app on my phone to good use. What do you say, Estelle?¡± My smile came out of force. Chapter 27 LINDEN Estelle seemed different. I just couldn¡¯t point my finger at it. ¡°I don¡¯t like your silence, brother.¡± Striker joined me in the backyard as we watched Tate and Moses y golf. ¡°Something snapped at Estelle.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I met her for coffee yesterday.¡± ¡°So you two are back together.¡± There was hope in his voice. He didn¡¯t know how hard it was for me to walk side by side with Estelle, and I couldn¡¯t hold her hand because she had friendzoned me. ¡°I wish.¡± I checked my beer. It was empty. ¡°You¡¯re not getting another bottle if you will drive home.¡± ¡°You sound like your father.¡± ¡°Because we love you, brother.¡± ¡°Why is it my personal business is everyone¡¯s business?¡± I yelled enough for Tate and Moses to hear. Striker justughed beside me. ¡°I¡¯m serious. How can I help?¡± ¡°Since when did I ask for everyone¡¯s help?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem, Linden. You never asked, even if you needed it. You were there for me the entire time when I was not at my best. You were there for Cenric, Mykel, Rome, and you were there for-¡± ¡°For me when I was lost.¡± I turned my head when I heard London. ¡°You¡¯ve been there for everyone, even for my father. You risked your life to redeem his ass. It¡¯s not that bad to ask for help once in a while. It won¡¯t hurt your ego and masculinity. In fact, it will put the people you care about at ease.¡± I looked at Striker, who just shrugged. ¡°You heard her.¡± ¡°What did you find about Estelle?¡± London asked, rubbing her growing belly. ¡°Nothing helpful.¡± ¡°You just don¡¯t wanna tell us. Why is it so secret?¡± She joined us on the bench. ¡°She¡¯s gonna kill me.¡± ¡°She¡¯s killing you slowly anyway. I think she¡¯s selfish.¡± ¡°How did you feel when you lost LH?¡± I looked at London. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Really, Linden? Is that how you gonna y it if we¡¯re trying to help you.¡± ¡°No.¡± My brows wrinkled. ¡°Because that would be what she would feel if she loses Star.¡± ¡°Why would she-¡± London stopped as she looked at her husband. ¡°Cade. When I found out he bought LH, I felt a huge relief because I knew the brand would be in good hands.¡± ¡°Of course, baby. You worked hard to make LH where it was. I was just angry at you for putting our marriage in the middle of it when we could work it out together. I mean, you wanted-¡± ¡°Shush now. This isn¡¯t walking down hurtful memoryne.¡± London turned to me. ¡°What really happened?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you know why I went to Italy. I thought I knew the whole story of why she ran away because her father arranged her h h h. Why do most fathers risk their daughters¡¯ lives for marriage?¡± ¡°The hell I know.¡± London rolled her eyes again. ¡°Because I¡¯m a catch, I understand that.¡± ¡°Oh, my God.¡± London stared incredulously at Striker. ¡°Jeez, sweetheart. The world really revolves around you, huh?¡± Striker and I fell intoughing. ¡°Continue, brother,¡± he said. ¡°Then she said she¡¯s not ready to settle down. She still has a lot of things she wants to do, ces she wants to go, some shit like that. Obviously, her father arranged for her to Weston because of a business alliance, and she doesn¡¯t like yton.¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a dick. I heard some nasty things about him.¡± ¡°Like what, baby?¡± Striker asked his wife with an excited tone and more amused than ever. ¡°yboy, irresponsible, narcissist, something like that. He gets drunk and brings different women to his loft almost every night.¡± ¡°Wow. Really nice guy,¡± Striker said. ¡°And that¡¯s what she¡¯s going to waste her life to? We need to convince that guy not to marry Estelle.¡± ¡°Yeah, a piece of shit. But that¡¯s not gonna happen because if he doesn¡¯t marry Estelle, he won¡¯t have that kind of life. His father still gives him 50k bucks every month.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± Even London was shocked to learn the truth. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a job?¡± ¡°Maybe he has at Weston Yacht.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s also gonna use Estelle as his credit card?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe he has an agreement with his father. Once he settles down, he will inherit Tyrion¡¯s fortune.¡± ¡°Well, of course. It alles down to that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Striker reacted to his wife. London just gave him a side look. ¡°I¡¯m sure she knows it¡¯s not easy for her to get rid of him. I don¡¯t know, man. I wanted to help her, but I didn¡¯t know how, and she broke up with me because she didn¡¯t want me to get involved with the mess of her family. I feel something is going on, bigger than us, that I didn¡¯t know the full story. I already stopped Kye from digging into it. I didn¡¯t want him to get into trouble.¡± ¡°Estelle borrowed money from Tyrion Weston. That¡¯s all you should know,¡± Moses said. Of course, he knew everything. Why I even bothered asking Kye when I could juste and ask him? ¡°This is just between me and Gabriel.¡± There you go. I¡¯m in trouble. ¡°Pa,¡± Striker groaned. ¡°No, son. He may be your best friend, but some things can¡¯t be shared with everyone.¡± When he turned to me, I knew how this would end. ¡°Come with me.¡± I rose from the seat and told Striker and London. ¡°We¡¯re going on a date at the study.¡± I followed him. His study was big, filled with books on dark wood shelving. ¡°Lock the door behind you.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I was expecting you to use the resources you have.¡± His tone was firm, clearly not impressed with me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t use the avable resources for personal matters, boss.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bull. It¡¯s important to you. You were not even tempted?¡± ¡°I just wanna be a good example.¡± ¡°I call it bullshit. It¡¯s been two weeks, and you did nothing for Estelle. Sometimes, I think she doesn¡¯t matter to you more than I initially thought.¡± He gestured for me to sit down. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± I slumped my ass on thefy ck leather couch. ¡°She changed.¡± ¡°I know, and your life would change 180 if you find out what she¡¯s been hiding from you.¡± I ignored the twist in my abdomen. ¡°Let me guess, you know.¡± ¡°I have every resource military intelligence envied me for. Why do you think they want me to sit on the golden chair.¡± ¡°Okay. Enough of that metaphor, boss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hyperbole.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have golden chairs, but yeah, whatever. You want to know? Ask her. Use your skills. Not skills over women, Gabe. Be a spy.¡± I was offended. ¡°No. I won¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Then I can¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°Boss, please? What do you know?¡± ¡°Star started with Tyrion Weston¡¯s ten million dors. Weston would get 20% of the total profit for the first year. It was okay because, somehow, Star Cosmetics was a sess. Estelle began another venture, Star Activewear. Also a sess, but the use in the contract was unnerving.¡± I gulped down. ¡°What was it?¡± He went to his desk and took something from his drawer. ¡°Read it.¡± He threw it to the coffee table. I picked up what seemed to be a copy of the contract. ¡°Just so you know, I paid ten thousand dors to get that.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°From whom?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t wanna know.¡± Yeah, I should not have even bothered asking. ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡± I began reading. ¡°It seemed pretty regr contract of both parties.¡± ¡°use 6.¡± I went to the page of use 6. I couldn¡¯t even finish it. ¡°You need to pull your head out from your ass, Gabriel.¡± He used that name again. ¡°You and my son have this kind of personality that I sometimes hate. You both like to be heroes. But now it¡¯s time for you to be that man. This woman would be miserable for the rest of her life if you won¡¯t help her. Weston maybe has money, but his son doesn¡¯t have a backbone. You can give up on her when you know she is in good hands. Their marriage may be arranged, but yton won¡¯t stop whoring around and bringing thepany down with him. Trust me.¡± ¡°Why would she even agree on these terms?¡± ¡°Desperation? She was twenty-one, just finished college, and wanted to make a difference, and her father didn¡¯t have her support. Linus may be a terrible father, but Gustav is way worse. I don¡¯t even know that he has this in him. It makes me want to drag him through the mud and let the crocodile eat him.¡± ¡°She gets nothing.¡± I leaned back against the chair,pletely appalled. ¡°She gets plenty. Plenty of debt and backache.¡± I chuckled sadly. ¡°Isn¡¯t she a billionaire?¡± ¡°Technically, yes. Estelle owns Star LLC in papers but has five investors, including Weston and her father. Star LLC is actually worth 1. 3 billion. Let¡¯s say the fifty million is for the five investors. She has to pay Weston the amount of ten million dors multiplied by ten, the value of his money today ording to the profit. How much is that?¡± ¡°And if she won¡¯t marry yton?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll pay that amount and possibly loses her seat to Weston or her father.¡± ¡°I thought her father doesn¡¯t fund her dream?¡± ¡°That son of bitch friend of mine finally came to his sense when Star LLC thrived. But Weston is a greedy businessman taking advantage of a girl with big dreams. My guess, is he intended not to help Estelle and baited her to Weston¡¯s son. Sounds familiar?¡± I sighed shakily. ¡°Linus.¡± ¡°Exactly. And let¡¯s not forget the terms that it¡¯s terrifying that she should marry yton in a few months.¡± I dropped the unsettling contract on the coffee table, still horrified. ¡°So her father won¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°He wants this to happen. Only you coulde between them if you want to stop this from happening.¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± I met his gaze. ¡°ckmail Gustav or Weston.¡± I bitterlyughed as I leaned back. I seemed to lose all my strength because I had no idea how to do that. ¡°Go for Tyrion Weston. His son beat a woman almost to death, and he let someone clean up the mess. So Kye did not find out anything about it.¡± Another horrifying truth. Jesus. I shook my head. ¡°Maybe yton intended not to hurt that woman, but he practiced some sexual kink but went beyond without that poor woman¡¯s consent. My point is- use anything you can. I have evidence.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask how did get that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. I told you, son. I will help you if you are willing to get your hands dirty.¡± ¡°What if hees back to me?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t. If he loves his son, he won¡¯t, and I found out something, but this is way moreplicated,¡± he said confidently. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°You better not know. My advice, keep Estelle at your arm¡¯s length.¡± ¡°Is she in danger?¡± ¡°No, but you will find out soon what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°Boss, please?¡± ¡°No, son. I already showed you where to start. I won¡¯t hand everything to you on a silver tter. Now get your ass up and do something for that poor woman.¡± Chapter 28 ESTELLE ¡°Oh, hey, Estelle. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± I didn¡¯t even know what to say or what I was doing in here in his penthouse. The smell of alcohol and sex was everywhere, making me want to throw up. yton swayed in my direction in his boxers. His eyes were blotched red. At two in the afternoon, he was still wasted in his boxers in his penthouse. Wow. And this was the man that I was going to marry? What did I put myself into? ¡°I need to talk to you, but not when you are drunk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I just woke up. Wait, how did you get in?¡± I ignored his question because he should know it by now. ¡°At two in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a bitch.¡± He stopped and towered to me. His face was just mere a few inches over mine. ¡°I will have you after we get married, and get ready that ass of yours. These tits were mine before, anyway.¡± He was about to have his hands on my breasts. Thankfully, my bodyguard, Qamar, was quick enough to grip his hands away from me. ¡°I suggest you take a few steps back, Mr. Weston.¡± ¡°Or what?¡± He narrowed his eyes at Qamar. ¡°You won¡¯t have a job if youy a finger on me.¡± ¡°I take my chances, Mr. Weston. First, you¡¯re drunk. Second, you¡¯re wildly inappropriate towards my client.¡± He turned to me. ¡°I will only talk to you without this man.¡± ¡°Meet me at-¡± ¡°No. Right now. In my office.¡± He pointed upstairs. ¡°She¡¯s noting with you alone.¡± ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± he tried to intimidate Qamar, but my bodyguard remained in his stance. He probably handled a lot like yton before he worked for me. ¡°I know who you are, Mr. Weston. You¡¯re trying to show and belittle everyone because you¡¯re a billionaire¡¯s son, a yboy, and, oh, you don¡¯t even work to earn money. All you did was get wasted in the club, throw parties, and waste your father¡¯s money. So without your dad, you¡¯re nothing. You better show some respect to a wonderfuldy like Ms. dwyn. She deserves it.¡± ¡°Fuck you. Get out of my penthouse!¡± He jabbed a finger at Qamar¡¯s chest. ¡°Is something going on?¡± A half-naked woman tiptoed out downstairs. Wow. I shook my head in disbelief and disappointment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just heard him yelling.¡± She shrugged and smiled as if I was so happy to see her. Then her eyes widened a bit. ¡°You¡¯re Estelle dwyn, right?¡± ¡°Do the decency to put some clothes on,dy,¡± I told her as I began to get annoyed. ¡°Fine.¡± She rolled her eyes. I began to regret my decision to talk to yton. This was a bad idea, after all. I had to take a deep breath to calm down and mentally tell myself they weren¡¯t worth my stress hormones. ¡°No. Go back up. I¡¯ll be done here in a few,¡± yton ordered the woman. Poor blonde. The woman went up, still covering her chest with her hands as she went up. ¡°You could join us.¡± He smirked. ¡°If you want me to stop sleeping around, then stay with me. We¡¯re getting married anyway. What¡¯s with the demure when I will have you in a few months.¡± ¡°Now you sound sober. You should consider canceling the engagement, yton. You¡¯re far ready from settling down. You¡¯re still whoring around with women every night. Clearly, you are not ready to take the responsibility as a husband.¡± ¡°Who said I would stop after we get married? This arrangement is bullshit anyway, but if I don¡¯t do what my father told me, he will cut my trust funds. What would I do without it? And looking at you here right now, it seems you don¡¯t have a choice, after all.¡± ¡°Stop being so entitled. Be a man for once, yton. Don¡¯t depend on your father. Grow up. You¡¯re twenty-five, for God¡¯s sake. Start working to pay your own bills.¡± He shook his head and chuckled, mocking me. ¡°We¡¯re getting married.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like you. We have nothing inmon.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to like me. All you have to do is be pretty and stand next to me in any event my father wishes us to be there. And make sure you won¡¯t have any fats in your body, or I will starve you until I get what I want.¡± He went towards the stairs. ¡°If you have nothing important to say, get out of my penthouse, and don¡¯t bring that asshole again if you wanna see me again, Estelle.¡± Once I was back in the car, I was still shaking with anger. I wanted to scream that it might help with all my problems. I noticed Qamar checking me out every now and then. ¡°What have I done?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do anything about the past, but you can still do something for what is about to happen.¡± ¡°You heard me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have punched him to stop from insulting, but-¡± ¡°No. No punching. I don¡¯t want you to get in trouble.¡± ¡°My job is to stop the trouble before it¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°You did the right thing. I still want to get through to him. Yes, he¡¯s a jerk, but I need to convince him to stop the stupid marriage.¡± ¡°Good thing my family doesn¡¯t believe in that practice anymore.¡± ¡°Where you from?¡± ¡°Second-gen Egyptian immigrant.¡± ¡°Well, good for you and your family, Qamar.¡± ¡°I know, ma¡¯am. Where to? Back in the office?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I sighed deeply. ¡°Don¡¯t stress what happened back there. Can I say something?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an asshole. He doesn¡¯t deserve you.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org I chuckled. ¡°It¡¯splicated.¡± ¡°I could see that.¡± I met with the creative director in the conference room at the Star building. ¡°Tell me some good news.¡± Jae, the creative director, smiled in excitement. His eyes were almost gone. ¡°You will receive the new product samples in a few days. Then we can shoot a new endorsement campaign. I already forwarded the creative n to Mrs. Moore. You can tell us what theme you want to add.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all about diversity. Talk to people from different walks of life who truly believe in Star Cosmetics and Activewear. Then we can start the shoot.¡± ¡°I love it,¡± he agreed. ¡°I like the Vermilion on your lips, matte.¡± ¡°Thanks, but let us not focus on me this time. I¡¯d like to take the photo shoot at Wi Gallery.¡± I followed Wi Gallery on Instagram. I hadn¡¯t visited the ce, but I could tell the campaign would be a sess and good exposure for both parties. ¡°We¡¯ll check out the venue,¡± he suggested. ¡°The owner and director is a good friend of mine.¡± ¡°Then that wouldn¡¯t be hard to convince her.¡± ¡°Let me talk to her first, but just ready the production.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Thanks, Jae.¡± ¡°Cheonman-eyo.¡± I entered my office as I dialed Wi¡¯s number.¡± ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Wi?¡± ¡°Oh, my God. Estelle? Are you calling me? I thought you hated the Linden family.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. She was just a female version of her brother. ¡°I tried to. I really did.¡± ¡°Good to hear your voice.¡± ¡°Me too. Anyway, I checked out your posts about your gallery. I was hoping toe by to see the ce next Monday. Will you be there?¡± ¡°I would free my entire weekend if you need me.¡± Iughed. ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°Honey. My family will always be there for you. All you have to do is call us.¡± ¡°Thanks. How about at 10 am?¡± ¡°Ten then.¡± ¡°Thanks, Wi.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee, honey.¡± After my work, I feel like I need a good massage. Sometimes I forgot that I wasn¡¯t alone anymore. I had to think about my baby as well. So far, there haven¡¯t been changes in my body. I hadn¡¯t experienced morning sickness either, which was a huge relief, and my secret was intact. ¡°God, what am I doing?¡± I looked out through the car window, berating myself if I should get out and see him. Qamar opened my door and said, ¡°Take the leap.¡± ¡°You guys should stop pushing me to your boss.¡± Heughed. ¡°My loyalty will always be to both of you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see it. It¡¯s more like ten percent to me and ny percent to him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a good man.¡± ¡°That, no doubt.¡± I got out and stepped into the pathways. Thewn was freshly cut. I could still smell the grass. I rang his doorbell. I knew he was here. His car was parked just before my sedan. The door finally opened. He wasn¡¯t expecting me to show up based on how he looked at me. I should have called first. Maybe, I was interrupting something, and he wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Estelle?¡± ¡°Hi. I was just-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± Iughed softly. ¡°I was just talking to your sister over the phone, and then I thought I would check up on you. Are you,¡± I hesitated. What if he really took my advice about going out on a date? ¡°I¡¯m alone. Yeah.¡± He read my thought. Great. ¡°Come in.¡± He raised his hand to Qamar. ¡°Take a seat. I¡¯ll just talk to Q.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I went to his living room. He was watching a football match with his smoothie. Wow, and weird. A few momentster, he came back and joined me on the couch. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you on my doorstep.¡± ¡°I should have called you first.¡± ¡°Nah. Not necessary. Can I get you something to drink? I have white wine I stole from boss.¡± ¡°You stole Moses Braddson¡¯s wine?¡± I asked in amusement. ¡°He has plenty. He won¡¯t even know one wine is missing.¡± ¡°No wine. I need a clear head. Water or if you have fresh juice.¡± ¡°Just a sec.¡± He got up, and I managed to hold him. His gaze dropped to my hand around his wrist before it lifted to me. ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled genuinely. ¡°That¡¯s what friends should do, have each other.¡± He came back with a ss of fresh lemon juice with mint. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Estelle?¡± I sipped it. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yeah. Fresh and minty. What can¡¯t you do, Gabriel?¡± ¡°Get my girl back.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, but I take it.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯te over here for me, baby. Tell me.¡± I took down my restraint and anything that stopped me from doing what I wanted. I moved close to him and leaned my head on his shoulder. It didn¡¯t take a second; he pulled me even closer as he wrapped his arm around me. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Trust me, baby. There¡¯s always a rainbow after the rain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the sunlight that scatters from raindrops called refraction, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ruin my childhood memories.¡± A chuckle rumbled from his chest, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I will always be here for you.¡± A single tear rolled down my cheek when he kissed the top of my head. Chapter 29 LINDEN I could watch her all day. Even the way she twirled the pasta with the fork looked appealing. Nothing sexier than your woman enjoying your food, licking her lips, her eyes lighting up. I took it as apliment. After dinner, she volunteered to clean the kitchen, but I refused. ¡°I know what to do.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that, but I don¡¯t like someone touching my kitchen.¡± She came beside me with her fist on her hip as I loaded the dishwasher. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you named your knife after a great samurai or your favorite pot after Gordon Ramsey.¡± Iughed out loud. ¡°I do have a favorite pan and named it after the gorgeous woman who broke up with me on a piece of paper. Every time I put it on fire, it reminded me of wanting to spank her ass.¡± She wrinkled her nose. ¡°That¡¯s horrible.¡± ¡°Yeah. You can go up and change to my shirt. I take it you want to stay?¡± ¡°Can I?¡± she asked without a doubt. ¡°I have a spare bedroom on the left. Just next to mine.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we share a bedroom?¡± I thought I saw something in her eyes. Was she testing my self-control? ¡°Not the smartest idea, Estelle. And you know why.¡± ¡°Fine. Is there a bathtub in the spare room?¡± ¡°No. You can use mine. Give me five minutes to ready it for you. Meanwhile, there¡¯s a clean towel and a new toothbrush. Go ahead. I¡¯ll call you when ready.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Once I heard her footsteps fading, I closed my eyes and drew deep breaths. ¡°What are you doing, Linden? If this isn¡¯t torture enough, then I don¡¯t know what to call it.¡± I went to my bathroom and turned the water to fill the tub. I couldn¡¯t even pick between my two different new body washes. How was it even hard? I poured both when the tub started filling. Then I went to open some drawers and cupboards to find candles. Thankfully I had a few. I lit up two with the same scent before I went to knock on her door. ¡°It¡¯s open,¡± she yelled from the room. I opened the door just enough so I could peek. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Do you know massage?¡± She was already in the robe. Her hair was already tied in a messy bun. What was she up to? ¡°I can call a masseur.¡± ¡°Just a simple massage on my shoulder, Gabriel.¡± I ignored her sarcasm and wanted my libido locked up somewhere. ¡°We¡¯ll do itter.¡± Once we were both in my room, and she was walking into my bathroom, I remained in my ce. ¡°Let me know if you need anything. How about a ss of red wine? It helps you fall asleep.¡± ¡°No wine, Dr. Oz.¡± She didn¡¯t lock the door, and I watched her carelessly drop the robe on the floor. Her ass, damn. I was quick to look away, but her naked image was already stuck in my head. ¡°What¡¯s this smell?¡± I thought I knew what woulde next, but sadly she stuck me in a friendzone. No matter what she did tonight, I was not going to fall for it. Not again. ¡°What smell?¡± ¡°Can youe, please?¡± So subtle. I wanted to roll my eyes. I let go of a deep breath before I walked in. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Why are you there?¡± She was referring to me standing at the door. ¡°Is the water warm enough?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t wanna get near to me.¡± She sat on the tub, enough to show her chest. No matter I kept my focus on her face, it was hard not to look at her tits. ¡°Help me here.¡± I inwardly groaned as I went close to her. I grabbed the loofah she offered and knelt behind her. ¡°You¡¯re used to having a maid around you. I get it.¡± ¡°You clean the house alone?¡± ¡°Feel some dust at your fingertips, mydy?¡± I started rubbing the loofah on her back. ¡°You¡¯re sarcasm doesn¡¯t work on me. I know I hurt your feelings, but you have to know what I did is for your own good.¡± ¡°How selfless of you. Maybe you should try thinking of yourself once and a while and stop making helping people ideology your excuse. It doesn¡¯t work on me anymore, Estelle.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Still, she was making excuses. ¡°Oh, I do. I¡¯ve helped my friends, and God knows how many more favors I did for them. When I am in need, they don¡¯t think twice. So I let them because it¡¯s not about collecting their debts. It¡¯s about epting help from others, especially from true friends. And I know we still have much to talk about what¡¯s going on, and I hope I¡¯ve shown you enough certainty to share it with me.¡± The water sshed out as she moved into the tub to face me. Her hand came up to my face. ¡°I trust you with my life. In return, I only ask one thing- to trust me on this.¡± ¡°Alone? How courageous of you. Do you want to struggle and face whatever it is alone when you have friends, true friends who are willing to help you? That¡¯s not an act of selflessness, Estelle. That¡¯s stupidity.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. You have to understand me.¡± I stared at her in disbelief. She still had no idea what her life would be with Weston. She had no idea what throwing herself into a wolf felt like. I did. I¡¯d been there, done that, but I lived because I had brothers who never left my side. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Estelle.¡± I let my guard down for her to see how sincere and desperate I was to help her. And I¡¯d never felt so vulnerable without carrying my armor of defense around me. ¡°Gabriel.¡± When she called my name like that, it not only crushed my chest but also ripped my heart out. She swallowed hard, and I did the same. The anticipation was killing me. My fingertips tingled. My heart thrashed in my chest. When she leaned forward, I leaned in. Our lips were merely a thread, a part, but something deep inside me snapped. I pulled back with all the integrity I had left. Her brows were drawn together. Thest thing she expected. ¡°I thought you would take what I could give.¡± ¡°That was weeks ago, Estelle. I care so much. I am here with you because I am the same man who respects you. I won¡¯t touch you or kiss you while you are my friend. I don¡¯t kiss friends. I don¡¯t wantplications when I can stay out of it, but if you want to be with me, I want you, your heart, your soul. I want you to bepletely on board. No more reasoning out.¡± ¡°Leave me alone.¡± I stood up. ¡°You¡¯re in my bathtub.¡± ¡°God, I want to punch you right now.¡± She growled, her eyes narrowing. I left her alone. I went to the foyer with my coffee. Yeah, coffee in the middle of the night. After an hour, I heard footsteps. ¡°What are you drinking?¡± She joined me. She was in my shirts and boxers. ¡°Coffee.¡± ¡°The Great Gabriel Linden. I was thinking whiskey or beer, maybe.¡± ¡°Would you like some?¡± I offered my mug to her. ¡°No thanks.¡± There you go, that dragging breath. I had a feeling that the next wordsing from her lips would either shock me or hurt me. ¡°I went to see yton at his penthouse.¡± I groaned. Of course, It was Estelle. Nothing could stop her from doing whatever she was nning to do. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t go well.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± I turned to face her. ¡°Did he hurt you?¡± I felt relieved when she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. He was a ss-A asshole.¡± She closed her eyes for a brief moment. ¡°God.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say more. I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t wanna hear it.¡± I stood up and offered my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to bed.¡± She grabbed my hand and smiled. ¡°Can I stay with you? I promise I¡¯ll behave.¡± ¡°Of course, baby.¡± *** The next morning I decided to meet Gustav. I knew where I could find him. He enjoyed his free time golfing. After our pleasantries, we golfed, even if I didn¡¯t pay much attention. ¡°Your daughter went to see yton.¡± ¡°I thought your job was done.¡± He swung for his strike. The ballnded a few meters into the hole. ¡°This is not about my job. I went to Italy on my own terms because Moses asked a favor.¡± ¡°So you¡¯d rather do it for free? How noble of you? Nothing in this world is free, Mr. Linden.¡± I already disliked this son of a bitch even before. I disliked him even more right now. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Estelle became my friend.¡± ¡°You are sleeping with her?¡± His usation was direct, and if he thought I would deny it, he was mistaken. ¡°We had a brief rtionship until she broke up with me because she¡¯s supposed to marry yton Weston. If I heard correctly, she signed a contract to keep Star LLC. I know what business alliances mean and what they can do to both parties, but I don¡¯t understand why you didn¡¯t trust her enough to fund her dreams?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your concern. Don¡¯t stick your nose in our business because you know nothing about running a business in the first ce. And don¡¯t fool me with your mercenaries.¡± I poked the bear, and I liked it. I nodded. ¡°One thing I know of, Weston won¡¯t ever treat her right. Once they get married, you just end her happy life. You know who he really is and what he¡¯s capable of with women. I hope it enlightens you before you lose the only daughter and family you have left.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any proof against yton. I suggest you stop digging.¡± ¡°I will do everything in my power and use my resources to stop the wedding, Mr. dwyn.¡± Now Gustav faced me. His eyes narrowed. His face became red. ¡°Let me guess, Moses Braddson. Do you think he will risk his empire over his errand boy? Think again, Mr. Linden, beforeing back and threatening me. Do you know who I am? You can¡¯t even fathom what I can do to your littlepany if you ever do something stupid again.¡± ¡°I know exactly what kind of man you are, Mr. dwyn. ¡°You don¡¯t, but I¡¯ve watched you for several months and know who you are. The only thing you think makes you different from those sick soldiers because of Striker Cade, but you are nothing alike. You are just Moses¡¯ errand boy. And when you¡¯re done running his errands, he will just dump you like his useless wife.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Don¡¯t ever-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me with your empty threats!¡± He grunted as he pointed the golf club at me. ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t empty. I will drag you with Weston down if you don¡¯t stop this marriage. Mark my word.¡± Chapter 30 ESTELLE ¡°Hey.¡± I went downstairs to look for Linden when I found the side of the bed empty. After turning me downst night, I realized that no matter how much he liked me, we could only be friends without the benefits. It was a disappointment, really, but maybe it was good for us. ¡°Good morning.¡± He met me at the bottom of the stairs, still wearing the same smile. ¡°Where have you been?¡± After that question came out of my mouth, I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Sorry. Forget that I asked.¡± ¡°Breakfast?¡± ¡°I called Qamar. He¡¯s on his way, but do you have tea?¡± His brows knitted. ¡°What¡¯s with you with not drinking coffee and wine?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say my life is a littleplicated right now. I can¡¯t pump myself up with alcohol and caffeine.¡± I followed him to the kitchen. ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t wait till I make breakfast?¡± ¡°Maybe you cane byter. Let¡¯s say dinner at my house.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He boiled water and grabbed a teacup. ¡°Do you prefer green?¡± ¡°Any.¡± ¡°Green then.¡± He put the teabag on the cup and then looked at me, really looking at me, making me almost feel self-conscious. ¡°What is your n, Estelle?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know, but if I could just pause my life for a while, I would love that. I want to take a breath without thinking of what¡¯s going to happen tomorrow.¡± He came close to me to trace his thumb on my cheek. ¡°I promise you that everything will be okay. I can¡¯t guarantee a perfect day today or tomorrow, but things will be better.¡± ¡°Thanks. It means a loting from you.¡± After he poured hot water into the cup, he ced it before me. ¡°Will you call me if you need anything? I mean anything, Estelle.¡± I smiled. ¡°You¡¯re the first person I will call.¡± ¡°Good.¡± When I got home, I was surprised to see my father in my house. He didn¡¯t usuallye unannounced, but judging by the look on his face as if he was about to spit fire, this visit wasn¡¯t out of courtesy. ¡°Hey, Dad. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I just received a threat from your ex.¡± My eyebrow shot up. ¡°My ex? Why would he threaten you?¡± ¡°I know you were seeing Gabe Linden.¡± What the hell? But what confused me was why Linden would do something so reckless when I made it clear to stay away. Unless he knew something, he wasn¡¯t telling me. ¡°Wait a second. What did he say?¡± ¡°He really should know where he stands. He¡¯s not good for you, Estelle, and doesn¡¯t-¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t belong in our circle? Well, Dad. So as yton. What does he know about running a business? Does he even have a dream for himself? Who is he without his father? At least, Gabriel has ambitions. He works hard to be where he is right now-¡± ¡°And where is he exactly?¡± His eyes bore into mine. His expression turned thunderous. ¡°He is nothing but a low life in a suit carrying guns. Stay away from that man.¡± ¡°Or what? You will do what exactly? What else can you do worse than what you already did? You can have the Star but can¡¯t control an adult woman like me. So do what you do best, but don¡¯t ever call Gabriel a low life because he served this country. He saved a lot of lives. He puts food on the table for many employees, treats them as his equals despite running a multi-million dorpany, and remains grounded despite that. If someone is a low life, that¡¯s you, Dad. You can¡¯t even live alone without your so-called friend like Tyrion Weston. You may be rich, but you are miserable, and I don¡¯t wanna end up like you-¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± He roared. I noticed Qamare beside me in stance alert. ¡°I¡¯m not done. You made me sign that contract because you said to me that¡¯s what is best for me. Now don¡¯t me me if I disobey you. And you know what? I went to see yton in his penthouse. I thought I just went to the wrong door because, from what I saw, it was a sex club to me. He had a woman with him. Do you think he will ever change? I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°This is thest time we talk about this topic again. Your engagement is moved to next week. If you are nning to run away again, don¡¯t. Unless you wanna lose Star. I will call a board meeting and tell them that you are not capable of running thepany anymore. Do you understand me?¡± I didn¡¯t know if I understood everything he said, but I understood perfectly that my life was over. I couldn¡¯t answer him because I didn¡¯t want to. I ran away from him and went upstairs. I couldn¡¯t see that man without the hate and disgust in my heart. And he didn¡¯t know that I was carrying another man¡¯s child. I was terrified that he would force me to do something I couldn¡¯t fathom doing if he found out I was pregnant with Linden¡¯s child. I found myself in the bathroom under the shower, still fully dressed. I didn¡¯t know what to do anymore. Linden was right. I should stop thinking of others. I should be selfish sometimes, and I should be because I wasn¡¯t alone anymore. A soft knock on the bathroom door startled me. ¡°Ms. dwyn?¡± Thank God it was Qamar. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± I wiped my tears, mixing them with water, but I knew I was crying. I got up and turned the water off. After shredding my clothes, I wrapped the towel around me before I got into the bedroom. Qamar was not looking in my direction. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to check up on you. Do you need anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good, Qamar, and I¡¯m decent. Where¡¯s my father?¡± ¡°He left about five minutes ago. He said to keep an eye on you and to report to him if you make some ns.¡± I arched an eyebrow. ¡°Are you going to tell him?¡± ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re my employer, not him.¡± ¡°Thanks. What should I do now?¡± ¡°Get dressed, dry your hair, and have ice cream in bed.¡± I smiled. ¡°Perfect.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the kitchen to get you ice cream.¡± ¡°Do you even know what I like?¡± ¡°Strawberry cheesecake and butter pecan.¡± ¡°Can you give me both?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. And don¡¯t forget to take your vitamins, ma¡¯am.¡± I stared at him in shock. ¡°I¡¯m very observant, but you can trust me. One of my job descriptions is to keep my client¡¯s secret stays secret. Your secret is safe with me. I¡¯ll be right back, ma¡¯am.¡± After putting on a shirt and jeans, I brushed my hair, and Qamar just came with a tray of two ice cream tubs, a bowl, and spoons. ¡°I wanna eat on the lounge.¡± He went to my lounge area adjacent to my bedroom. ¡°Sit with me,¡± I told him before he could flee. ¡°I can for a while.¡± ¡°You have nothing to do. I¡¯m here in the house. You don¡¯t have any excuses, Qamar.¡± ¡°Okay then, Miss dwyn.¡± ¡°You can call me Estelle. Even Sax and Kye call me Estelle. What¡¯s the meaning of your name? It sounds pretty.¡± I put two scoops in the bowl and offered it to him while I wanted to eat from the tub. ¡°It¡¯s funny you asked. My name in English is the moon, and yours is a star.¡± ¡°Wow. Really?¡± I ate the ice cream while I listened to him. ¡°In Arabic, Qamar is short of an endearment like yah Qamar, meaning, oh moon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°It is. Can I say something?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Your father is -¡± ¡°A jerk.¡± ¡°Greedy. I¡¯m sorry. I know it¡¯s none of my business, but I swore an oath to protect you. Even if he¡¯s your father, I won¡¯t hesitate to stop him if he raises his hand on you. I¡¯m telling you now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, of course. Only if he hurt you.¡± After he ate his ice cream, he stood up. ¡°Thank you. That was good. I¡¯ll be right outside. Call me if you need me.¡± I nodded. After he left, I went to grab my phone and dialed Linden.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m hoping this would be often.¡± I smiled. ¡°Do you have a minute?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Saturday. Yes. Did you change your mind on dinner?¡± ¡°You have Tacos Saturday. I forgot.¡± ¡°London doesn¡¯t mind. Trust me.¡± ¡°You threatened my father?¡± I heard him blow a breath. ¡°He told you?¡± ¡°Personally. What were you thinking, Gabriel? I told you this is a family matter. I don¡¯t want you getting involved.¡± ¡°Bite me.¡± ¡°Very mature. I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°So do I.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Now because of what you did, he just moved the engagement to next week.¡± ¡°What the fuck, Estelle? Are you really going to marry that jerk? Tell me you¡¯re not considering it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°You always have a choice.¡± ¡°Not this time.¡± ¡°Give me five days.¡± ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± I frowned. I felt like he was nning something dangerous. ¡°Just trust me, okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I?¡± He did that deep sigh again. ¡°You won¡¯t marry that piece of shit, Estelle. With every fiber of my being.¡± Chapter 31 LINDEN ¡°What did they talk about?¡± ¡°There was no talking involved, boss. They were fighting.¡± There was a hesitation in Qamar¡¯s voice, but I had to know if Estelle was in danger. ¡°What else, Q? What are you not telling me?¡± ¡°They were fighting about you.¡± I nodded in understanding, even if he couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I provoked Gustav.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. This issue had been there for years before you even met Ms. dwyn. And even if you¡¯re not going to tell me, I will do the right thing and what¡¯s good for my client. What are you gonna do, boss?¡± ¡°I have ns.¡± ¡°Good to hear that.¡± ¡°In the meantime, keep an eye on her. Sometimes, she does reckless things to prove she¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You can count on me, boss.¡± I hung up the phone. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Wi asked with a te ofsagna in her hand. ¡°I might just do something stupid.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not judging. You can be stupid for the greater good.¡± She gave me the te and a fork and joined me on her couch. ¡°That¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°You never change.¡± I chuckled. Wi like to eat on the couch. ¡°I¡¯m alone and with my big brother. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d rather curl up on my couch than go to the table.¡± I took a slice and tasted the vegetablesagna. It was delicious. ¡°It¡¯s Pops¡¯ recipe.¡± Sheughed out loud. ¡°I could have watched cooking shows or on YouTube channels. What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± ¡°You got everything from Pops but not his cooking skills.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just the perfect and reliable son, jerk.¡± I put my hand on her knee. ¡°I¡¯m not even a good son, Will. You have no idea how many mistakes and wrong decisions I made, how many times I failed in life, how many regrets I have. I¡¯m not perfect and reliable. You, on the other hand, have failed, but you got up and stood strong. Now look at you. You have a good life. You are happy and able to do the things you¡¯re passionate about. And even how many times you failed and will fail, there¡¯s nothing to be ashamed about. I am here for you, and Pops will always be here for you.¡± ¡°How did you be so wiser? I think being around a bunch of rich kids and good people influences you to be the person you are today.¡± ¡°I still have a lot to learn, to be tougher, and I¡¯m making enemies.¡± I didn¡¯t realize I already finished Pops¡¯sagna. ¡°That¡¯s the disadvantage of bing famous.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, sis.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Keep telling yourself that. You have a massive eight million followers on your Instagram, 2. 3m on X. Don¡¯t you n to create a Tiktok ount?¡± I was amused at her. ¡°What do I do? Dance?¡± Sheughed. I always loved herugh. When she realized I was watching her, she stopped. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just happy that you¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°I love you, Gabe. Please don¡¯t change. Always look back to where you came from.¡± I saw the pride in her eyes that melted my heart. ¡°Thanks, Will. That¡¯s the greatest advice you¡¯ve ever given me.¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about why you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°I missed you, and it¡¯s Saturday.¡± I tried not to be too caught up with what was happening between me and Estelle. And I also had to see my family. ¡°Where were youst two Saturdays, Saturdays ofst month, and thest two months?¡± ¡°We ate outside, and I was busy with-¡± She stopped me and held my arm. ¡°I know. I was just messing with you. Estelle called me.¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± My quick question put a smile on her lips, her eyes warmed. ¡°You should marry her, brother.¡± I couldn¡¯t match her enthusiasm. She quickly saw me as I stared away. ¡°You¡¯re not together anymore?¡± I nodded. ¡°She broke up with me. I know from the very beginning that I should stop myself, but she was also into me even though our rtionship has to end somehow.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± She fixed her seat and faced me. ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± ¡°We met weeks ago because she¡¯s been running away from her father. She¡¯s arranged to someone else. Well, loaded than me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gabe.¡± She wrapped her arms around me, and she hugged me tight. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± I hugged her back and let go of a shaky sigh. ¡°Hey. Look at me,¡± she said as she held my hands. ¡°I¡¯m no expert in rtionship advice. Hell, I don¡¯t even have a good reputation when ites to a longsting rtionship. I¡¯m a divorcee, for God¡¯s sake, but trust me, if you two are meant for each other, go for it. Fight for her, to hell his money, whoever he is. Your weapon is your heart and sincerity. And do you also realize that you¡¯re also loaded? Down-to-earth rich?¡± ¡°We have ns.¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°My brothers and Moses.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± She was absolutely amused, sping her hands together. ¡°You have the cavalry. Go ahead. Take the star with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually having dinner with herter.¡± *** I took Moses¡¯ advice for once. I got a bodyguard. Jacques Lynx was a former Royal Australian Navy MMA, Pencak st, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert. With his 6-foot-1-inch tall and well-built body, he could easily take down an opponent. The ck Tahoe entered Estelle¡¯s Property, and I suddenly became nervous, even if this was just a friendly dinner. I couldn¡¯t also ignore the guilt in my chest and the fact that she was getting engaged in seven days, and because of my poor decision, I put her in a terrible position. Her assistant, Micah Sorell, weed us. ¡°She will be here downstairs in a sec, Mr. Linden.¡± Her smile felt like she knew something. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Please, follow me. She¡¯d like me to take you to the backyard, sir.¡± ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll be around,¡± said Lynx. I nodded. ¡°Lead the way, Ms. Sorell.¡± ¡°Just Micah, sir.¡± We went through the hallway to the backdoor. Estelle had a pretty neatwn, a big pool, and a lounge at the back. ¡°Linden is fine. Mr. Linden is my father.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sheughed softly. ¡°Wait here, sir. Take a seat.¡± My mouth hung open to see the beautiful romantic setup before me. I never expected more than just dinner, but this was a romantic date with a nket syed on the ground, two huge fluffy bean bags, cushions, a low table with food and wine, a big white screen, lights, andnterns. I removed my jacket and shoes because I wasn¡¯t informed what outfit I should wear. I stepped into the nket and took advantage of the giant bean bag. It wasfy, and when I looked at the sky, it was dark, but I could see twinkling stars, a big p reminder of what I was about to lose if I wouldn¡¯t take risks. ¡°Well, look at you.¡± Her voice froze me. Estelle was already looking down at me with a huge smile on her face. She was wearing a white maxi dress and looked even more beautiful thest time I saw her. ¡°You¡¯ve never been speechless, Gabriel.¡± My smile was huge as well as I took her hand and helped her to the bean bag. ¡°You did all this for me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get any ideas,¡± she quipped. ¡°The weather is good, and I miss watching movies. I can¡¯t remember thest time I went out to watch movies, and I¡¯d never been to an outdoor movie theater before.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you to one.¡± Once she sat down, I turned on the projector. ¡°What do you wanna watch? Breakfast at Tiffany, Twilight, The Notebook?¡± She arched a brow, but the smile never left her face. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you know Twilight and The Notebook.¡± ¡°Ask Sax.¡± ¡°What genre do you usually watch? Let me guess, action?¡± ¡°Action, Sci-fi, any good movies.¡± ¡°Just choose. You¡¯re my guest.¡± I scrolled what she had on the list. I chose Pride and Prejudice. The movie started ying. ¡°Why that movie? If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡± ¡°Because love should have no boundaries, should ovee ss differences and life status. Prejudice is just toxic in our society. It still depends on how we let that infect us. Why two people in love can¡¯t be together and happy? Because the people around us set high standards of what ss A should be with ss A alone? I call that bullshit. I didn¡¯t watch the movie, though. I heard it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°I love Keira Knightley. She¡¯s real and authentic.¡± I poured wine into two sses and gave her one. I thought she just licked the wine. When she noticed me looking at her, she hid her smile. ¡°It¡¯s too early to get drunk and look around us. It¡¯s beautiful just to doze off.¡± ¡°I looked at you and thought you¡¯re the most beautiful thing I¡¯d ever seen. Plus, I¡¯d never been into this kind of setup. Thank you. I love it.¡± I took two cushion pillows and a nket and dragged myself to the side to still have space for one more. ¡°Don¡¯t let this space go to waste.¡± ¡°I was about to ask if I coulde to your bean bag and join you.¡± She came to me, and I spread my arm so we could fit together when we snuggled. ¡°It¡¯s customized, isn¡¯t it? The size is a single bed.¡± ¡°Yup. I thought I needed one like this to curl in.¡± She snuggled her hand on my tummy, her leg over mine. I knew the movie would just roll, and I wouldn¡¯t understand anything, but I loved nothing but to be with her despite our time together getting shorter and shorter every day if my n wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°Are you still watching?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Chapter 32 ESTELLE ¡°So, there¡¯s nothing we could do?¡± I had been talking with mywyers, but I could already see my future self before me, losing the battle. ¡°It wasn¡¯t stated in the contract that you couldn¡¯t file a divorce or when you could. To secure your assets, you have to convince Mr. yton to sign the tight prenup.¡± Atty. Randish said, somehow, it uplifted me. ¡°Thank you. I will do that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just marriage. You can get out anytime. Estelle, this is a free country,¡± Atty Tawny smiled with a nod over the screen. ¡°I can¡¯t even look at him without gagging.¡± Atty Tawny chuckled. ¡°Well, there is that. It may have already been agreed on by both parties, and you can¡¯t change the fact, but you still have control over your future. It¡¯s not the end for you.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± After the conference call, Micah helped me with the outdoor movie ideas I had in mind. After two hours, I was sweaty and a little bit hungry. The chef made some perfect and delicious chicken mango salsa bowl and Cajun shrimp fajita pan. ¡°It¡¯s three. You should get some rest. I¡¯ll wake up at six.¡± ¡°Thanks, Micah,¡± I called her when she was about to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t work. I want you to have time also for yourself. Next week, we will have shopping and spa together. Put that on our sked.¡± ¡°No more talking. Rest, baby mommy.¡± I smiled. I couldn¡¯t believe I would be a mom in less than eight months, and I hadn¡¯t told anyone. I was thinking of telling yton I was carrying another man¡¯s baby. I wondered if he cared. I bet he wouldn¡¯t mind. I cringed at the thought of his hands all over me. Given what kind of manwhore he was, maybe even if I was about to pop out my kid, he was going to use me. ¡°Oh, God.¡± I ran towards my bathroom and emptied what I just ate into the bowl. I threw up everything. My face was sweating. My abdomen was cramping, and I couldn¡¯t ask for help. Once I calmed a bit, I cleaned my mouth with enough mouthwash. Then I brushed my teeth. I washed my face and looked at myself in the mirror. At twenty-five, I would be married and a mother. Not exactly the best environment to raise a child, but did I have a choice? I redialed Atty. Tawny. ¡°Estelle, is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. Is it possible to transfer my money to someone I can trust?¡± ¡°Yes, it is, but why would you do that, and how much?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you tell us about this?¡± ¡°The marriage wouldn¡¯t be void.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± he confirmed. ¡°Does your father and the other party know?¡± ¡°Nobody knows except my assistant and my doctor. And now you.¡± He sighed. ¡°To whom do you want to transfer your fund?¡± ¡°Linden. Gabriel Linden.¡± ¡°Do you trust him?¡± ¡°With all my life.¡± ¡°Does he know your situation?¡± I blew a breath. ¡°Some of it, but he can¡¯t ever know I¡¯m having a baby.¡± ¡°Is he the father of your child?¡± ¡°Yes. He is.¡± ¡°You have to tell him.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. If I do, he will move mountains, and I will not only lose the Chairman position, I might as well lose the control over Star.¡± ¡°Is your n wise? No, but it works if this man is trustworthy, given that he¡¯s the father of your unborn child.¡± ¡°At least if I give birth, my child¡¯s future is secured. Can you do that for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have the documents ready on Monday. You can also make it your investment, Estelle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great idea. He founded Osmium Resource Group.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of him. How much?¡± ¡°Twenty-five. Give it to my assistant for me to sign.¡± ¡°Are you sure you wanna do this?¡± ¡°Yes. Definitely.¡± *** I just wanted to be with Linden before my life fell apart because I could already feel it beginning to crumble before me, so I set up an outdoor movie date. He gave me what I wanted. He didn¡¯t resist. I could hear the music as the credit rolled, but my eyes were so heavy I couldn¡¯t even open them. ¡°Baby? Estelle?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Let me take you to your room.¡± I felt the bean bag dip as he moved. The next thing I knew was him scooping me and lifting me, and I felt him walking, kissing my forehead. ¡°Her room is by the end of the hallway to the left.¡± I thought it was Micah talking. I was just so tired and sleepy. A few momentster, I felt the soft sheet under me. I could smell thevender essential oil wafting in the room. Then I was wrapped with my duvet. I curled into a ball, and that was it. I woke in the middle of the night with a full dder. My doctor and what I read online were serious about the first trimester of having to pee frequently. I was about to get up from bed when I felt that I wasn¡¯t alone anymore. My heart leaped up my throat, thinking it was another man. The first thing that came into my mind was yton. Thankfully, looking at the arm around my waist, it looked familiar, and the tattoo. Linden was shirtless and probably naked. What surprised me more was he didn¡¯t leave. So unusual of him. I was grateful, though. I slowly and carefully lifted his arm around me and got up from bed. He didn¡¯t even stir. I tiptoed to my bathroom and peed. I gargled with mouthwash before I got back to my room. What was I thinking? That I would make out with him? Probably a good idea, but would he kiss me when he was adamant about not even touching me? Which was a bummer, by the way. ¡°Hi.¡± I froze in my ce to see him sitting shirtless on the bed. ¡°Hey. Come here.¡± His voice was still groggy and deep but sexy. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t leave. Sorry for snoozing on our movie-¡± I didn¡¯t even know what to call it. A friendly date didn¡¯t seem to fit, but yeah, whatever. ¡°Date.¡± He smiledzily. ¡°Micah said you did most of the decoration. I owe you a massage.¡± I crawled back to bed. There was no awkward moment of hesitation between us. He cupped my face and kissed me, and I didn¡¯t think twice, straddling him as I missed him terribly. Not the kind of miss that I would be okay seeing him. I wanted more. I didn¡¯t know if this was pregnancy hormones, but I wanted him like I wanted my next breath. I paused and looked at him. Linden¡¯s eyebrows were drawn together. Then I looked at my clothes. I wasn¡¯t wearing my dress anymore. I was in my pajamas. ¡°I changed you since I am the only one in this house who saw you naked.¡± He grinned. ¡°I hope I¡¯m right.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t just walk around the house butt naked, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Can we go back to kissing now?¡± He barely finished his words. I was already kissing him, ignoring the knot in my belly. I knew it was unfair to him, but I didn¡¯t want him to get in trouble because of my recklessness than I already did. Also, I wanted to be happy with the limited time I had left. I deserved that. As I ran my fingers on his broad chest, I rubbed his tiny nipples with my thumbs. Then I went to his abs. I already felt his bulge growing hard. He pulled off my top. ¡°I took the liberty to take off your bra. I thought you didn¡¯t need it anyway. Stand up.¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate. He slipped his hands on the band of my bottoms and my panties and dragged them down my legs. I stepped out of them, and he carelessly threw them on the floor. I waspletely naked before him, and my pussy was just at his eye level. My toes curled the moment his hands gripped my hips, and the next thing I knew was hearing my voice echo in my entire room as he ran his tongue on my folds up to my clit. He grabbed my thigh so I could ce it on his shoulder, my hands gripping the headboard while his face was between my legs, doing something wild with his mouth and tongue. When he gave a long lick from my forbidden hole to the center, I sobbed in pleasure, throwing my head back. My eyes fluttered close as my hips ground hard, following the rhythm of his tongue. He was thorough, did with his lips, his mouth, his teeth, his tongue. I was lost in eliciting pleasure, in our emotional connection, in desire, in joy, and my orgasm was just around the corner. He felt it. He hummed in approval. ¡°Gabriel.¡± Gasping for air, I called his name. My hips bucked against his face, and my orgasm turned nuclear. I felt it in every sense of my being. Chapter 33 LINDEN ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked me again and again. I hadn¡¯t answered her question as I stuffed her inside the SUV. I only told her to wearfortable clothes. Lynx went to the driver¡¯s seat while Q was on the passenger¡¯s. ¡°So, who¡¯s the new hot guy?¡± I knew she was messing with me. I could see the glint in her eyes, but joke or not, I couldn¡¯t ignore the twinge in my chest. ¡°Excuse me?¡± I leaned in to whisper in her ear. ¡°I just had you this morning, and I¡¯m sure mye is still there, and you¡¯re already asking who¡¯s the new hot guy?¡± She just giggled. ¡°He¡¯s cute.¡± I groaned as I pinched her on her thigh, causing her to yelp. ¡°What was that for, Gabriel Rembrandt?¡± I smiled. ¡°You might know my birthday, as well.¡± She took her phone, and I just saw her dialing Sax. ¡°Why are you calling him?¡± Instead of answering, she pressed her finger against my lips. I held her and kissed it before I pulled it down. ¡°Hey, Sax. I hope I¡¯m not interrupting something.¡± She paused as Sax might be talking from another line. ¡°What¡¯s Gabriel¡¯s birthday?¡± After that, she thanked Sax and ended the call. ¡°You could have just asked me.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± ¡°You can just google him,¡± Qamar replied from his seat. ¡°This is Jacques Lynx, by the way. Boss¡¯ new guy.¡± ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Wew.¡± Her eyes rounded. Her smile widened. I breathed noisily. I knew some women had a thing with a man with an ent, and now I regretted taking Lynx with me. ¡°Which part of Australia are you from?¡± ¡°Melbourn, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°He reminds me of-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say, Thor, please? For the love-¡± ¡°Of thunder.¡± She cut off Qamar,ughing. Lynx and Qamar even joined her. And here I was, gloating with my jealousy, enduring the difort in my chest. ¡°So, what do you do before you start working at Osmium?¡± Why was she so curious about him? I wanted to stop her, but I would only look like an asshole. ¡°RAN.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Qamar was the one who tranted what it meant. ¡°Wow. I heard the training was extensive for mental and physical stamina.¡± ¡°Estelle, what¡¯s with your curiosity over my guy?¡± She shook tough. Her eyes were teary. ¡°We¡¯re friends, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± My face began burning. She saw my reaction, but I didn¡¯t give a shit. I was not a jealous person, or maybe I just didn¡¯t know myself back then, or I had no reason to get jealous. ¡°You friendzoned me, remember?¡± She tried to hide her smile and her wickedness because she thought it would be funny to see my reaction. ¡°You denied me, remember? At your house?¡± ¡°So this is tit for tat now?¡± ¡°He has a girlfriend.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Really?¡± Qamar reacted. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know. As far as I knew, Lynx was not married. It was important to fill that part in the form in an emergency. ¡°Do you have-¡± ¡°Q!¡± ¡°Sorry, boss.¡± ¡°Jeez.¡± Estelle cupped my face and kissed me so loud. ¡°You¡¯re actually jealous? Of your own men? No offense, Lynx, but I like this guy more.¡± ¡°No doubt, ma¡¯am.¡± Lynx chuckled with Qamar. ¡°How far are we to wherever you are going to lock me up?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not far.¡± I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close to me. I kissed the top of her head and apologized. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°You know what for.¡± ¡°You¡¯re human. Hard outside but soft inside. Like creme brulee.¡± ¡°Creme brulee, huh? So am I sweet, too?¡± ¡°When you¡¯re not in your bossy mood, yeah.¡± After half an hour, we pulled up to the front of theke house where Rome proposed to Princess Carlott. I helped her out while the two inspected the area. ¡°Ake house.¡± Her eyes wandered. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Yours?¡± ¡°No, my brother Rome.¡± ¡°Rome?¡± ¡°Lord, whatever his title now. Rome Langston.¡± ¡°A lord, huh?¡± She stopped and held my arm. ¡°Like a real noble?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s married to the Princess Royal of Capria.¡± ¡°Wow. What is she like?¡± She sounded so interested and amazed. ¡°Funny, beautiful, sweet, and she can be carefree. You remind me of her.¡± ¡°What was it like to meet a royal?¡± ¡°Fancy, but the prince and the princess are cool people.¡± I took her to the back of the house, on the dock. ¡°Is that safe?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no venomous snake or alligator in the water.¡± ¡°I was about to ask.¡± Sheughed softly. ¡°I don¡¯t think you would enjoy fishing, but the guys are gonna cook for us.¡± ¡°This is lovely,¡± she said as we sat, our legs hanging. ¡°I¡¯m d you like the ce. This house has been Langston¡¯s for generations. He actually proposed to Princess Carlott here.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s so romantic.¡± Her eyes lit up, but it was gone in an instant that I almost didn¡¯t catch it. I knew why. Because of her situation, she thought she might not experience that kind of gesture when she deserved a grand proposal. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Why? What happened?¡± ¡°Princess Carlott said no.¡± ¡°What?¡± Her hands flew to her mouth. ¡°Why? But they¡¯re married now, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, it was all misunderstanding because she¡¯s quite rebellious, like you. She ran away when her ex broke her heart/She¡¯s been here for three years before she¡¯s hired to work as an executive assistant to Rome.¡± ¡°Aw. It sounds like a romantic royal movie.¡± She even giggled. I couldn¡¯t help but smile as Princess Carlott made a bold move to win Rome back. I thought it was cringy and sappy, but looking at myself, I realized it was an act of bravery and love. Love.The word love made my heart beat so fast as I looked at her smiling. Damn it. She leaned close and kissed me on my lips. It was quick and sweet. ¡°Would you like something to drink?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I just wanna be with you.¡± ¡°Me too, baby.¡± I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her head. We sat at the table. Lynx and Qamar were across us. Estelle watched me as I made us sandwiches. ¡°How do you make it look so easy?¡± ¡°Just put everything all together, baby.¡± I put a few slices of grilled chicken the guys grilled earlier. It was still smoking, but it was delicious. I had that marinated in lemon and herbs and spices in my fridge. I gave her the first sandwich wrapped in a torti wrap. Then I made it for us. ¡°What else can you do, boss?¡± Lynx asked. ¡°Ask me what I can¡¯t do. Win her heart.¡± Estelle elbowed me. Her mouth was full. ¡°BS.¡± ¡°Wait. You two are not together, together?¡± Even Lynx was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Qamar replied. Lynx didn¡¯t ask further as he quickly understood. *** After our dinner, the guys went to stroll around the property. I wanted to spend time with Estelle before we left theke house in the morning, and she might decide not to see me again. Or this time, she would break up with me with you¡¯re an ass on the mirror with her red lipstick. I kissed her and took her into the bedroom. In less than ten seconds, we were both naked. She let out a shaky breath as I entered her. While we kissed, our tongues brushed each other. I really shouldn¡¯t be doing this, but fuck that, fuck the marriage, fuck everything. I wanted to be with this woman. I could only have two choices anyway. Heartache or death. Both are painful without her. Pulling out, I mmed into her again, and I was balls-deep, her legs locked around my waist. I slowly pumped in and out of her. Her fingers raked against my back, wing into my skin. I wanted to fuck her hard against the mattress, but I wanted to make my time with her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Her question made me still. ¡°Yeah. Why?¡± I kissed her lips. ¡°I feel you, Gabriel.¡± ¡°I just wanna make love to you,¡± I admitted it. There was no reason to lie. ¡°You are. We are.¡± At this point, I couldn¡¯t hide my emotions. My walls were crumbling, which had never happened before until Estelle. I smiled, even forced and kissed her with all I had within me. I needed her to know how much she meant to me. Damn it. I¡¯m in love with her. Chapter 34 ESTELLE ¡°I know it¡¯s none of my business, but when will you tell Mr. Linden about it? You can¡¯t hide it forever. Pregnancy will grow eventually.¡± ¡°He¡¯s reckless when ites to the people he cares about. He always wants to be the hero, maybe a part of his job, or it¡¯s his personality, and I don¡¯t want him to be reckless for his child.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s unfair. As far as I can see, he is a good man and responsible. And a father will always do what¡¯s good for his children.¡± ¡°You should tell that to my father, Micah.¡± ¡°Estelle, he¡¯d love to be involved in raising his kid. I¡¯m sorry, but as your assistant, I think I may have an idea of what¡¯s going on.¡± Micah sat on the chair across my desk. ¡°You¡¯re going to marry the man you disgust while you are pregnant with a man you love-¡± ¡°Whoa.¡± My eyes widened, yet my heart agreed. ¡°Who said about love?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Well, tell me, what you have been doing recently? Staying with him, sleeping over in a romantic ce, and him sleeping over in your house while you were making a huge move with outdoor movies? What do you call that? Even every time you heard his name, your eyes lit up. You¡¯re in love with Mr. Linden.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just like him.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he older than you?¡± She tried to hide her smile from me. I rolled my eyes. Linden was older than me by five years, but age didn¡¯t matter to me. ¡°Well, a Latin singer married a woman two decades younger than him, so if it¡¯s true love, go for it,¡± she added. ¡°We¡¯re not getting married.¡± ¡°Not now, but he¡¯s the kind of man who was into hooks up, and when he grows old, he wants to settle down and live in a house with a picket fence. He¡¯s hot, by the way.¡± My eyes narrowed. Obviously, it wasn¡¯t intentional. It was just my feelings over Linden got in the way. I knew it was harmless, but I felt territorial over him. Micah smiled. ¡°What¡¯s your n? I heard everything your father told you. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to, but he was just loud, and I was afraid he would hurt you.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good at keeping secrets.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t lose thispany. I gave up everything a long time ago, and I personally like to prioritize Star LLC. I can¡¯t give up now. I have to choose eventually with my current situation, but my priority has shifted. I wanna raise my kid in a good and safe environment.¡± ¡°Now you talk like a good and responsible mother.¡± I reached out to squeeze Micah¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you for always listening to my bullshit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here if you need me, even just talking about bullshit. If I were you, I know you are in a tremendously difficult situation right now, but two heads are better than one. He can help you financially, and you need a lot of emotional support. Having a baby is a lifetimemitment, Estelle.¡± ¡°I know, Micah. Why do you think I¡¯ve been strugglingtely?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°You said you want to raise your kid in a good and safe environment, right? How is getting married to someone like yton Weston safe for your kid? Sorry. I¡¯m out of line, but as your assistant, I know most people around you and have good instincts.¡± I didn¡¯t know I was crying until I wiped my cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to be harsh.¡± She offered me a box of tissue. ¡°You¡¯re not. Sometimes I need a hard push to do what¡¯s right for me. I was raised in a broken family, bouncing between two homes. I learned the hard way of standing for my own. My mom was a good mother. My father sent me to a good school. When I learned to earn my own money, I promised myself to give something in return. At that time, Star LLC was literally my life. It¡¯s my life¡¯s work, and I forgot sometimes I was too selfless that I also needed time for myself. I still am. And here I am, still forgetting that I¡¯m not alone anymore. And maybe if things go ording to n, this is the legacy I can give my baby.¡± ¡°Then be that selfless mother. Think about your child.¡± I smiled sadly as I picked up my phone and dialed Linden¡¯s number. Micah nodded before she left my office. ¡°Baby? You¡¯re not drunk dialing, are you?¡± ¡°In the middle of the day?¡± ¡°Good to hear your voice. Do you wanna meet?¡± ¡°Yeah. How about you take me to some of your favorite burger houses.¡± ¡°I know just a ce. Do you like tacos?¡± ¡°Yeah. Who doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m calling Q so he can send you there. Not far from your office.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°See you soon, Estelle.¡± Thirty minutester, we arrived at the taco stand. From the parking lot, I noticed a long line in the queue. That must be good. ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± Qamar said as he went out to help me. Someone already did. ¡°Hey.¡± The first word I said to him came out breathless. Linden squeezed me into a hug. ¡°You must be hungry that you choose me as yourpany.¡± ¡°I need to talk to you. Someone enlightened me on something this morning. I thought maybe you¡¯re the best person- you are actually the only person who can understand my situation.¡± ¡°Come.¡± He assisted me to thest empty table at the end. ¡°Q will take our order. I know the owner. This is Rome¡¯s favorite tacos.¡± He sat beside me, his hand on my own as he looked at me, reading my thoughts. It scared me sometimes if he looked at me that way that, he might find out something I was not ready for him to know. I squeezed his hand before I began. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna get involved with yton. Hell, I couldn¡¯t stand him. But if I do this, I will ultimately lose Star LLC. The boards will not stand on my side. I know that. They will appoint someone, surely not my father and definitely not Mom, but someone else, and I couldn¡¯t let yton take over it from me.¡± ¡°Do you trust me?¡± I looked at him in the eye and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working fast as I can. You will have the result in three days. That¡¯s enough time before you walk into that miserable life that you can never be the same person anymore.¡± I stared at him. ¡°How do you know all of this? I feel like you know more than you let on, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Baby, Osmium is more than just a security, ck ops agency. We don¡¯t just provide security since we have acquired a partnership with Hover Defense and Security. We also have be a private intelligence agency.¡± I blinked. I didn¡¯t know what to say. I was surprised and worried at the same time that he might discover my secret. ¡°That sounds-¡± ¡°Broad.¡± ¡°Awesome.¡± ¡°I know what you signed up for.¡± ¡°That¡¯s creepy.¡± I swallowed hard and suddenly felt ufortable. It was only a matter of time before he found out about my secret. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you have to find out this way. I can¡¯t just stand there and do nothing. It¡¯s your life we¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Why do you do this? Why do you have to help me when I did it for myself?¡± ¡°You were still young when you signed that contract. You wanted to prove something to yourself. You were ambitious, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. You just approached the wrong people, and I could say Weston was kind of charming back then.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t just say that.¡± I rolled my eyes. Our food arrived. Qamar took his own taco and soda and went to eat on his own. ¡°Well, he¡¯s the only son of Tyrion Weston, and he was groomed to take over Weston Yachts, but I don¡¯t see that happening soon. yton will be the downfall of Weston Yachts. I also found some nasty shit about that guy. So either I will do something or take the regrets of not doing anything for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± I took a bite of the tacos and moaned at the first bite because it was amazing. Linden smiled in amusement. ¡°It¡¯s really good.¡± ¡°They ckmailed you, and I will ckmail them.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Leave it to me, baby. Just don¡¯t listen and take anything seriously, whatever you hear online or on the news.¡± He ate his tacos. Everything about Linden was sexy, even his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I took another big bite. ¡°I will give you an update. And please, don¡¯t show and offer your hand for his engagement ring, or I swear to God, I will take it off myself and throw it into the Pacific Ocean.¡± ¡°Like Rose of the Titanic.¡± I chuckled. He did too. ¡°Why? What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I will kidnap you and take you somewhere he can¡¯t find you even if he hired the worse killer in the world.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I giggled as I took the bottled water he gave me. When his expression didn¡¯t change, that¡¯s when I realized he wasn¡¯t joking. My smile faded. My heart hammered. ¡°You¡¯re not seriously considering that.¡± ¡°Try me.¡± Chapter 35 LINDEN ¡°I think my past ising to bite me in the ass, Linden.¡± I¡¯d never seen Jasper so serious until today. He ran his fingers through his dark hair again. His eyes were haunted. My stomach twisted. ¡°What do you mean, Jas?¡± ¡°You know my father, what he did, and I was a part of it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve paid for your mistakes. You redeemed yourself back-¡± ¡°To the authority. When I thought I would be safe forever under the protection of the FBI, I was wrong. I just found out that someone dangerous has been asking about metely.¡± ¡°I will do everything in my power to protect you. And we¡¯re not alone anymore, Jas.¡± ¡°No. I can¡¯t let you do that.¡± He shook his head violently. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do that. You¡¯re the closest to a family I have left, Linden.¡± ¡°Too bad that¡¯s not your decision to make.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this since I found out and decided itst night.¡± ¡°What is your n, Jas?¡± I crossed my arms over my chest as I sat on my desk. ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that alone. That¡¯s why you have me, Sax, Kye, and these people.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t put your lives in danger and jeopardize the integrity of Osmium because of me. I need to do it on my own.¡± ¡°What exactly are you gonna do? Fight whoever asked about you alone?¡± I stopped in front of him, challenging him. I knew what he was capable of even before I took him under my wing. He was a good fighter, a good leader, a little bit violent, but that was how he was respected and survived in the underworld because he knew how life there worked. ¡°That¡¯s not how it works around here. You know that, Jas.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m going away. You know my identity and where to find me. I have my passports, and hopefully, I can find intel on my own.¡± ¡°What about your sister?¡± ¡°I told Sadie I was going somewhere and would contact her soon. Please look after her. I know Cenric can protect her, but I wanna make sure you have her back.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this?¡± I shook my head. I learned to care for him, to treat him like my brother. He never let me down over the years since we started the Firm together. He had my back and did something great for thepany, friends, and especially my father. ¡°You have to let me do this. Don¡¯t make it hard for me, Linden, please?¡± He drew a deep breath when his eyes became red. I stood up and pulled him into a hug when I couldn¡¯t take it any longer. ¡°Come back home. Alive. Promise you will contact me when you¡¯re safe or in danger.¡± ¡°I promise. And thank you for everything, Linden.¡± He pped my back. ¡°This is not goodbye, asshole.¡± I patted his back as well before I let him go. He smiled sadly. ¡°Don¡¯t let Estelle go. Fight for her. She¡¯s worth it. Trust me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to send you my wedding invitation.¡± He beamed. ¡°I¡¯ll have my tux ready.¡± ¡°Take care out there, Greer.¡± *** I was staring at the dark sky, still couldn¡¯t ept that Jasper was somewhere looking for the truth. I couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t stop him because he needed that for himself. It is still sad, though, and I couldn¡¯t stop worrying about his safety even if he knew what he was doing. ¡°How many stars you count so far?¡± I chuckled. ¡°How did you find me?¡± ¡°You? Out of my sight?¡± Moses took the seat next to me at the dock. ¡°Rome has no n to sell this ce.¡± He was referring to theke house. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°This would be a good vacation house with a good renovation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re rich. Give him an offer.¡± ¡°You are rich. Buy this. It¡¯s good for you and Estelle.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°I love your optimism, boss. But-¡± ¡°She will marry you, son. Of course, you have to do something because a woman like Estelle will get tired of waiting for you to make a bold move.¡± ¡°I wish you were right.¡± I drew a deep breath. It was so fresh and calm here. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°You should be grateful I am wasting my time on you.¡± I was quick to sit straight and turned to him. ¡°You know I am, old man. You have no idea. I may be terrible at showing how much you all mean to me and how I appreciate what you¡¯ve done for me, my family, and The Firm but deep inside, I couldn¡¯t contain my happiness and how grateful I am to have someone, and people like you guys.¡± ¡°You are very dramatic today. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Earlier today, I realized how important someone was the moment he walked away from me. I don¡¯t usually say this, and I am not the kind of person who voices out my feelings, and I didn¡¯t say how I appreciate him until this morning.¡± ¡°Jasper will be fine.¡± I shook my head in amusement. ¡°I won¡¯t even waste my breath asking you how you know.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡± He breathed deeply. ¡°Do you like thiske?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are a lot of charities where you can donate your money instead of buying this from Rome.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I will buy this for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so generous, boss. What you are doing for me is beyond enough.¡± ¡°Whatever you say.¡± He opened the ice box and grabbed a beer for himself. I didn¡¯t bother offering him because we didn¡¯t do that anymore. We took what we needed as long as for something good and ate what was avable there with gratitude. ¡°You didn¡¯te here to drink that cheap beer. Just say it.¡± ¡°The boards seemed convinced if Weston and Gustav wouldn¡¯t find a counteroffer.¡± I stared at him in disbelief for a moment as my hope rose, but he ignored my reaction. He was just looking at the moon¡¯s reflection on the water. ¡°You fix this dock, clean theke. Then you can put a big table under that tree. Ask someone to renovate, especially the second floor. Wood paneling would fit your personality. Estelle likes binge-watching romance movies on the couch. You need a good firece during winter in the living room.¡± ¡°Boss, how did you convince him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t waste time. I work for it. I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re wasting your time while you were with Estelle, but you won¡¯t be able to spend more time if you don¡¯t move fast and do something.¡± ¡°I thought we would do your ns together. I¡¯m ashamed to ask you if you¡¯re free because you¡¯re a busy man.¡± He bore his gaze at me. ¡°Jesus Christ, Gabe. You¡¯re like my son. Why are you even ashamed if you want something? And I will always have time for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I looked down, embarrassed. ¡°I can¡¯t ever repay you for having my son¡¯s back, but I am not doing this for that. If I can do something for the people, I care about, why not. Our n is in motion. Tomorrow at this time, Star LLC¡¯s stock price will drop in the stock market.¡± ¡°You convinced the major shareholders to sell? Why?¡± ¡°Not sell, but you will see. It¡¯s just false information to rattle the two sharks. And I have a counteroffer. The minor stockholders will sell Star LLC stocks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the time Striker and I wille.¡± ¡°Yes, and someone like Gustav and Weston¡¯s financial advisors will advise them for an emergency board meeting, questioning her credibility, voting to rece their chairman. Before that happens, you convince Estelle to stay grounded.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want your gratitude. I want you to convince Estelle to stay with you because that¡¯s when she will be vulnerable to her father and Weston. After all, we¡¯re talking of hundreds of million-dor losses, Gabe. And if Weston thinks, there¡¯s no future in Star, he will sell his share, and little Weston will lose his right to take over Star LLC and me Estelle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been thinking. I¡¯m afraid they will do something to hurt Estelle.¡± ¡°Before your rtionship with heres between them, I suggest you make it public after the board meeting. I hope those greedy bastards will do their part.¡± ¡°How did you convince them?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t say no to Moses Braddson of Hover,¡± he said proudly with a smirk. I smiled. ¡°Proven.¡± ¡°Now, this house.¡± Jesus. He wouldn¡¯t let this one go tonight. ¡°Okay. Fine.¡± ¡°Good because it would be shamed to take back my word.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked as he stood up and left me. ¡°You will receive a call from Rome tomorrow, and Mrs. Langston is nothing but happy for you to be the new owner of this house.¡± Jesus Christ. Chapter 36 ESTELLE ¡°Estelle, you can¡¯t watch-¡± Micah turned off the tv as if I had just caught her watching porn. ¡°Turn that thing on,¡± I told her, more like a bark, but she seemed to freeze. I went home early from work since it was Friday. I didn¡¯t feel well today. Maybe my problems were catching up on me, and I still didn¡¯t know how to solve them. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea.¡± There was a trace of hesitation in her voice, making me more annoyed and curious at the same time. ¡°Do you think I only have one tv in this house, or I can¡¯t watch it on myputer?¡± My re hardened as I eyed the remote in her hand. ¡°Considering your condition, I don¡¯t wanna stress you out.¡± ¡°About what?¡± I snapped, forcing my anger to cool down. ¡°It¡¯s about yourpany. It¡¯s all over the news, business segments, inte. All.¡± She finally turned it on. I swallowed hard. I felt like my chest was crushing, and I couldn¡¯t breathe. I found myself on the couch with my hand on my chest. From the corner of my eye, I saw Micah run out of the family room ande back with bottled water. ¡°Breath. Drink this.¡± With shaky hands, I took the bottled and tried my best not to choke on water. I was startled by the ringing and vibration of my phone on myp. It was Linden. He probably watched the news. Micah answered it and offered my phone to me. ¡°Estelle? Estelle?¡± I heard Linden calling my name. ¡°Baby, listen to me. I know you¡¯ve watched the news. Talk to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m watching it right now.¡± My voice was low, but he seemed to hear it. ¡°Remember what I told you not to believe what you heard and listened. That¡¯s tonight. It¡¯s part of the n. Everything¡¯s gonna be okay, Estelle.¡± ¡°You did this?¡± My tone was usatory. ¡°To give you full authority and remain in the position. Tell Micah to shut that thing off.¡± He probably heard the tv in the background. I turned to Micah, who was still standing and watching me. ¡°Micah, close the tv, please?¡± When she did as I said, I asked Linden, ¡°So what now?¡± ¡°They will probably call you.¡± My phone just beeped. I checked the caller, and he was right- it was my father. ¡°My father is calling.¡± ¡°Good. Tell them you have no idea. He will probably me you. Just act like you¡¯re so distraught and devastated.¡± ¡°I was, jerk. Still am. You could have told me what was gonna happen. Why didn¡¯t you tell me you are nning a major catastrophe for mypany?¡± Instead of answering my question, he ordered, ¡°Answer his call, baby.¡± ¡°Fine. Bye.¡± My father¡¯s call ended before I could answer. I redialed, and he picked up right away. ¡°What aplete disaster! What is going on, Estelle?¡± Just as Linden predicted. ¡°Tell me about it, Dad. You¡¯ve been harassing me. Now my fear justes true. What should I do?¡± I yed the role Linden told me to- to be a damsel in distress. I hoped this n would work, or I wouldpletely lose Star LLC and be poor. ¡°What had gone wrong?¡± He was already yelling over the phone. If he wasn¡¯t my father, I already hung up on him. I briefly closed my eyes before I spoke, ¡°I¡¯d been talking to some possible investors since I was nning for the new product, the baby baths. I might have mentioned that I was facing a possible major setback because of the deal I made with Tyrion, and some budgets are already on productions of the new shades of makeup and Activewear collections.¡± I hoped my narrative was believable enough. If I knew I had to lie to my father, I could havee up with a better story. ¡°You said that?¡± I could feel his eyes ming, his anger fuming through his words. ¡°You said that, Estelle?¡± I blew a breath. ¡°I¡¯m not good at lying, Dad, so that it may slide up.¡± ¡°How¡¯s that going out for you so far?¡± He huffed. ¡°Jesus, Estelle. That¡¯s not even your work anymore. You¡¯re the chairman, for God¡¯s sake, not a marketer. You approached the wrong people, and you know once the words are out, you can¡¯t take them back anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad.¡± I bit my inner cheek. ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done. The stock price is dropping. You dragged Star LLC down with you. You need to consider resigning, young woman, and let the experienced run thepany, or we are not just losing shareholders and investors. Star LLC will have to file for bankruptcy.¡± How predictable? As if Linden just read his mind- my father did exactly what he said he would. ¡°Let me make it right, Dad. I promise I will be more careful next time.¡± I added a slight shakiness to my voice and sniffled as if I just cried. Jeez, I didn¡¯t know I could win an Oscar over this. ¡°Just give me a chance. I built thispany from the ground. I can make it way better again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Estelle, but this is out of my hands anymore.¡± Then the line went off. He hung up on me. I stared at my phone in disbelief. ¡°Wow. What a dick?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s a dick?¡± Qamar came in. He met my gaze, his brows furrowing. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°You know?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Boss is five minutes away.¡± ¡°Why is heing?¡± I asked in shock. ¡°You can ask him that once he arrives. You want ice cream?¡± ¡°Frozen yogurt, please?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He was quick to turn around and leave. ¡°I¡¯ll be in my lounge.¡± I breathed while Micah was obviously amused at what I just did. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would be that exhausting.¡± ¡°You can win the best actress award.¡± ¡°If I fail in business, I might as well try my luck in Hollywood.¡± ¡°Damn, I can see you as a sexy action star. A sexy Katniss Everdeen.¡± Iughed. ¡°Tell our unwanted visitor that I¡¯m at my lounge.¡± I closed my eyes andy in peace for a moment, inhaling and exhaling. I mentally prepped myself that it was a part of the n. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be okay. I¡¯m gonna be okay. I¡¯m gonna be-¡± A soft kiss startled me. When I opened my eyes, I met the most beautiful blue eyes staring at me with a smile that could thaw the hell. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°Bite me.¡± I tried hiding my smile because somehow I was relieved he was here. I went to hisp when he sat beside me, cing the frozen yogurt on the coffee table, which he probably took from Qamar. I cupped his face and kissed him softly, tracing kisses all over his face. ¡°I should surprise you more often.¡± There was an amusement in his voice- I wished to shut it off. ¡°You don¡¯t know how relieved I was that you called. Earlier, I thought my world fell apart.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The boss likes to be exuberant in everything he does.¡± ¡°Mr. Braddson did all this?¡± I asked and stared at him in shock. ¡°He also forced me to buy theke house. Apparently, he¡¯d been busy doing something I should be doing. He talked to Celeste about the house because it meant to Rome¡¯s parents, but he promised to take care of it. So, Rome called me earlier this morning.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re the new owner?¡± ¡°Boss already paid it, but I¡¯m paying him back.¡± ¡°He truly cares about you.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He pressed his lips and sighed that I didn¡¯t know what for. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You wanna eat your Yogurt, or do you want me to fix something for you to eat?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather eat you.¡± I bit my lip, suddenly mortified. His eyes darkened at my words, and now he was smirking. ¡°We¡¯ll eat each other then.¡± One moment I was sitting on hisp, and the next thing I knew, I was lifted off with yogurt and a spoon in my hand as he took me to my bedroom. ¡°We can¡¯t, Gabriel,¡± I resisted, but my body said otherwise. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Everything is falling apart in thepany, and here we are. You should be supporting me. That¡¯s why you came here, right? Not to get in my pants.¡± ¡°At least we do something productive than just wait for tomorrow.¡± He was right, though. ¡°Let them go nuts. I don¡¯t give a fuck. Right now, I only want to make you scream my name.¡± ¡°Cocky bastard.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been called worse,¡± he said as he took off my clothes one by one. Now I was lying in bed naked before him. I watched him stroll his gaze from my head to my toes. I squirmed. And then he bent down to kiss my tummy, making me stiffen, and it didn¡¯t go unnoticed. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± His smirk went wild. He took my frozen yogurt and spoon, lifted the lip open, and scooped a generous amount. ¡°No, no, no, no. Gab- Ahhhhh.¡± I squirmed as I felt it on my skin. ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± Myint became a moanter. I used my elbows and lifted my head to see what he was doing. ¡°Oh, my!¡± I bit my bottom lip to stifle my moan. As he licked the yogurt clean, I watched him drag his tongue on my tummy. He lifted his head to look at me. ¡°It tastes way better on your skin than on the cup.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making me sticky.¡± My tongue darted out to lick my dry lips. He was amused at my reaction. I could haveined better, but my skin was tingling in anticipation. ¡°Tell me, where should I start eating you?¡± When I swallowed, unable to put my thoughts into words, he smirked. ¡°Okay. I know exactly where to lick you next.¡± He put another spoonful onto my breast and slightly hit my nipple with the spoon. It went instantly hard. The coldness reacted with goosebumps all over my skin, and he saw that. ¡°I see. You¡¯re wet, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too confident.¡± I bit my bottom lip harder. ¡°If you are, I¡¯ll fuck you. If not, we¡¯ll just talk till morning.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you too overdressed?¡± I¡¯d always been bold with what I wanted, but never like this. I always felt different every time I was with Linden.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°You can undress meter, baby.¡± When he pressed the spoon on my hardening nipple, I gasped. ¡°Do you want my mouth instead?¡± ¡°Do whatever you want as long as you make mee tonight.¡± ¡°Two or three orgasms, Estelle. That¡¯s a promise.¡± Chapter 37 ESTELLE ¡°Do I really need both of you?¡± I asked why Lynx had to join us today. I thought Qamar was enough, but Linden went a little overboard with my security. ¡°It¡¯s more than just me and Q,¡± Lynx confirmed. I couldn¡¯t help but inwardly smile as I remembered how Linden got jealous of him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He tipped his chin to the side mirror. I looked at the rearview and asked incredulously, ¡°That Tahoe is for me? Why?¡± ¡°Boss doesn¡¯t take your safety lightly.¡± ¡°Why? Am I in some kind of danger?¡± I asked both of them, but Qamar just went silent, too focused on driving, if I may say. ¡°Qamar?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am?¡± He briefly looked at me through the rearview as if avoiding my question. ¡°We could expect a reporter at your building, Ms. dwyn. Trust me. Sometimes it gets a little wild knowing your status.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s too extreme. You and Qamar are already too much.¡± ¡°Ignore the SUV following us. You won¡¯t even know it¡¯s there.¡± ¡°Toote.¡± I red at Lynx as I fished out my phone from my bag. I dialed Linden, but he didn¡¯t pick up. When we were close to the office, I suddenly felt nervous. Lynx, of course, didn¡¯t miss through his eagle eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Just sit pretty, ignore those old men fighting. I have a few experiences with men greedy for power.¡± ¡°Do tell.¡± I scoffed. ¡°Do you realize you¡¯re talking about her father?¡± Qamar chuckled. I wasn¡¯t even paying much attention that he was talking about Dad. Truth always hurt, but Lynx was right. ¡°I¡¯m aware. Pointing out the truth would never go wrong.¡± They were wearingms. Well, that was first. Qamar began talking, probably to the guys behind us, as he parked the car. ¡°We¡¯re taking Sirius to her meeting.¡± ¡°Who?¡± I asked. None of them seemed to hear me, but the door to my seat opened. I got out of the car, and I realized they were right. A few reporters and cameras were pointing at me, throwing questions, and those shes blinded me. ¡°Please, the PR will release a statement after the meeting,¡± Lynx answered them while Qamar dragged me out of the crowd. Micah met us in the private elevator. ¡°My office had not stopped ringing, asking for your statement. And please, no social media.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t check. Honestly, I¡¯m not even tempted,¡± I told her the truth. Lynx¡¯s phone rang. When he answered with the boss, I knew he was talking to Linden.¡± ¡°May I talk to him?¡± ¡°After the meeting, ma¡¯am.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°This is part of his extravagant n, huh? Great.¡± I met my financial advisor and my legal team outside the conference. ¡°Whatever happens inside, don¡¯t give up. We still have a few cards left. Good luck.¡± ¡°Thanks. I need that.¡± I picked up the file Micah gave me before I faced my jury. Five shareholders were already there. Then my father and Weston joined us and sat next to each other. ¡°Good morning.¡± I took a seat before them and opened the folder. There was a sticky note with the word smile written in bold letters, and it didn¡¯t definitelye from Micah. The first page in the file confused me. It was a brief background of everyone, including my father, Tyrion, and yton.What the hell? ¡°Are we going to start?¡± My father was still mad. His ring eyes bore mine. I breathed before I looked at them one by one. I hoped Linden¡¯s n would work. Otherwise, I would be going to my office to pack, and I wasn¡¯t ready to give up my life¡¯s work because I had made a colossal mistake. I still needed that chance to prove to myself that I could pull mypany up once again. ¡°Of course. Should I talk first or you, Mr. Weston?¡± When he gestured his hand, I started, ¡°Whoever leaked that information, it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s already out. We can still get back what we lost-¡± ¡°How?¡± Tyrion asked. ¡°Considering that you haven¡¯t begun selling your share, that means you still have trust in thepany- in me. It was just merely a mishap. Every startup, hugepany or not, encounter setbacks and losses. But if you have lost your trust in my administration, tell me, help me here. Do you have ns?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t just a setback. We lost-¡± ¡°I know how much thepany lost, Dad. How about the credibility of thepany? Those who quickly listened and trusted what was out there will buy the stocks again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± he pointed out. ¡°I would love to see your n, Ms. dwyn,¡± one of the shareholders asked. ¡°The products are still selling, the production hasn¡¯t stopped, and our distributors haven¡¯t backed out yet.¡± I checked what was on the file again. ¡°You all, shareholders and investors, are still investing.¡± ¡°And after that, do you have ns?¡± ¡°Thepany will get what it lostst night. We will continue where we left off. Do you want to say something, Mr. Weston, go ahead. You have the floor.¡± I focused on Tyrion because he didn¡¯te here unprepared and had something startling scheme up his sleeves. ¡°After what you¡¯ve shown us for thest months, you need to grow up and learn how to run apany, Estelle. Maybe attend a business school and take a master¡¯s degree.¡± I nodded. Of course. ¡°How about you, Dad? You look like you have something to say.¡± ¡°He is right.¡±Of course.God, I wanted to roll my eyes. Why was not even surprised? He wanted this to happen. He wanted to belittle me in front of everyone, let me question my worth, doubt myself as he started his own n. ¡°You are too distracted by the world around you. You are still young. We can-¡± I didn¡¯t let him finish. Call it rude, but I needed to put these two greedy old men where they belonged. My only focus and mission was convincing these five shareholders. ¡°When I started thispany, I had only five thousand dors. It came first as ideas that sounded ridiculous. I mean, who would believe in my twenty-one years old fresh graduate? On the other hand, my mother thought it was a good idea. I asked my father to borrow me twenty-five thousand dors, and he said no. I went to the bank. They said they said I needed a good business n and coteral. So literally, nothing, my dreams crumbled down.¡± ¡°Your point, Estelle.¡± Dad¡¯s face turned red as I was sessful in getting on his nerve, and he knew where it was going. ¡°Eventually, you suggested to go to Mr. Weston. I signed the contract to prove that I could run a business. It works, isn¡¯t it, Dad? Because I believe in myself, I have strong-willed and passionate about my dreams. I work hard for four years. Why these people.¡± I looked at these shareholders. ¡°Why do they believe in me? I¡¯m sure you have your influence, but money is money.¡± ¡°Just cut to the chase, Estelle, but we can¡¯t risk another setback. I suggest electing a new chairman.¡±How predictable?I wanted to call Linden right now and say he was right. I looked at them one by one, and they all had the same reaction on their faces- they agreed with Tyrion. I was more disappointed in my father that he wanted to kick me out of my position instead of backing me up. I will never forget what he did today. ¡°I¡¯m electing your father, Gustav, Estelle.¡± ¡°My father over me? He¡¯s already the chairman of CTEC. Does he still have time for this? What if I get more votes?¡± I swallowed hard. I felt like I could feel my heart bursting out of my chest. I grabbed the bottled water and drank it in front of them. I didn¡¯t care if they knew I was nervous, and I¡¯d been observing Tyrion and Mr. Wilson as if they were reading each other¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Then you will still be the chairman.¡± ¡°No. I want more.¡± I returned Tyrion¡¯s intense gaze. It was now or never- my only chance to take full control of Star LLC. ¡°This is not a negotiation, Estelle. This is business. Nothing personal.¡± Yes, you and my father are just both in narcissists. ¡°Great. Now that you mention personal. I want you to void the contract we signed four years ago and sell your shares.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say I agree. But I guarantee you. You cannot win,¡± he pointed out, but I would take my chance. ¡°Let¡¯s say I believe in second chances.¡± I grabbed a nk page and a pen and gave it to him. ¡°If my father will win. I¡¯m selling my share. I know this is my life¡¯s work, but I can build another one since I now have a background in building apany from scratch, more than most of us here. I¡¯d say, let¡¯s say, we put it into writing. Shall we?¡± ¡°Your confidence is admirable, Ms. dwyn,¡± another shareholder said. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to act drastically.¡± ¡°He wants me out of the chairman position this instant. So be it. Let¡¯s start voting. You can just raise your hands, which is in favor of my father to be the chairman of Star LLC.¡± I could barely breathe. My heart felt like thrashing around inside my chest as Tyrion raised his hand, then my father, and then Mr. Wilson. The tension was killing me, making my skin crawl. I wanted to get out, pee, and stay in the restroom until I got the result. When the rest did not follow, I finally let go of the breath I¡¯d held for too long. ¡°Who wants me to stay as the Chairman?¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Tyrion still tried to convince the rest, but they began raising their hand one by one. ¡°I¡¯m giving her a chance, Mr. Weston.¡± That was three over four, five including me. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m staying. I want the contract agreement void on my desk on Monday, Mr. Weston. You may contact the brokerage if you¡¯re not selling directly to Star LLC. Nice doing business with you. Unfortunately, you made the wrong decision. See you, Around Mr. Weston.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re smart? You, all of you.¡± He pointed at us one by one. ¡°This will be the downfall of thispany. I¡¯m d to sell my share at an affordable price. I¡¯m still a billionaire and have my ownpany.¡± The door went wide. Micah smiled and spoke, ¡°Sorry for the interruption.¡± That was all she said. Then someone just walked in.Oh my God. It¡¯s Striker. Striker Cade.This man knew when to make an entrance. ¡°I heard you¡¯re selling your share, Mr. Weston. Mypany, Braddson-Cade LLC, is interested in buying your share. You say at an affordable price?¡± Holy shit. Chapter 38 LINDEN ¡°Have you heard from Jas?¡± I paused for a moment before I replied because I couldn¡¯t lie to Sadie. ¡°No.¡± ¡°He was supposed to call me yesterday. I thought maybe he was busy, but I¡¯m getting more worried now that he hasn¡¯t called yet.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s in the out-of-coverage area. I¡¯ll try contacting him on a secure line, Sadie. Don¡¯t worry. I promise I will call you as soon as I have news.¡± ¡°Cenric wants to talk to you.¡± She sighed deeply. I knew her, and I knew how much she loved her brother despite what she¡¯d been through at his hands. Jasper just redeemed himself, and he did everything to prove that he¡¯d changed, and he did. ¡°Put him on.¡± ¡°Hey, bro.¡± ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯m far from my wife. I don¡¯t want her to worry about her brother. Is Jasper in trouble?¡± I exhaled. ¡°Jasper said he had to find out something. He just learned that someone asked about him from his past. I don¡¯t know how bad it is, but he looked troubled when he told me he has to go away for a while.¡± ¡°Will you tell me if you find out something before you tell it to my wife?¡± ¡°You have my word, brother, and if there¡¯s any development, you¡¯ll be the first to know.¡± ¡°I have a feeling that I¡¯ll be involved in this too. You know what I did, and if the information he gathered is true, my wife and her father will also be in danger. I have to contact someone from the FBI. Can you give a call to Beck?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n, brother.¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re seeing someone?¡± he switched the topic, making my heart beat faster. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°So it¡¯s true then.¡± I heard a smile in his voice. ¡°I haven¡¯t told anyone about it. It¡¯s kindaplicated, and we¡¯re in the middle of securing a business deal.¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t take much of your time. Once this is over, we¡¯re going to have dinner. All of us.¡± ¡°You have my word, brother. Talk to you soon.¡± I quickly dialed Beck¡¯s number. It rang a few times before he answered. ¡°Who¡¯s heart is broken this time? Or are you getting married? That would be great news.¡± ¡°Fortunately, no one and I¡¯m not getting married, but I have a pressing matter that I have to pass on to you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Greer.¡± ¡°Jasper? Is Sadie okay?¡± ¡°She is, but Jasper just went off the grid. I think someone from the Mafia in Europe found him. I didn¡¯t know how. His identity at the Osmium is tight. We made sure he had no picture anywhere. Sax, Kye, and I were the only ones who knew who he was.¡± ¡°And there are a lot of Greer in the country. No one could probably tie him to Hanslo.¡± ¡°Exactly, unless they knew him from the old business. I don¡¯t know, brother. I¡¯m worried, and he hadn¡¯t contacted Sadie since he left when he was supposed to call her yesterday, and he never broke his words to his sister.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Do you want me toe over?¡± ¡°No. In fact, I¡¯m about to tell you to be extra vignt. Hanslo¡¯s associates might have returned, hunting everyone involved. We¡¯re not, but we were Cenric¡¯s details at that time, and he¡¯s responsible for putting Hanslo in jail.¡± ¡°Copy that. You have to be very careful even if you have men at your disposal. Are you sure the leak didn¡¯te from yourpany?¡± ¡°This is what I am about to find out. It may take time, but I will get to the bottom of it.¡± When I heard themotion, I knew Estelle just arrived with the guys. ¡°I have to go. I have pressing matters at hand. I¡¯m kinda swamped right now, but I need to tell you first.¡± ¡°Appreciate it, brother. Give me updates.¡± ¡°Got it. Bye.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± I met Estelle and just got in the house. I could see she had a lot of questions, and she also looked surprised to see the ce Moses gave me as a wedding gift. I shouldn¡¯t be here since I wasn¡¯t married yet, but he forced me when he found out about Jasper, and this was the only ce that a few people knew I could trust. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°How¡¯s the meeting?¡± ¡°You dragged me all the way here to ask about the meeting. Why am I here, Gabriel?¡± ¡°So we¡¯re just gonna answer the question with a question.¡± I pulled her into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here.¡± I hadn¡¯t been able to kiss her, and she already pushed me away. ¡°Your men literally just stuffed me into the car after the meeting and drove off without giving much detail. Is it always gonna be like this, Gabriel?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That¡¯s what my order is. Don¡¯t put your anger on them. They¡¯re just following orders.¡± ¡°Then tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± I pressed my fingers on the furrow between her eyebrows. ¡°Mr. Weston and little Weston mighte after you after losing the share and votes of his guy.¡± ¡°You mean my father. Why would they do that? I don¡¯t think they would go to that length for the share when they still have theirpanies?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just taking precautions. Once the contract is void, then you can go back to your house.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I can¡¯t stay here. Who¡¯s house is this anyway?¡± She wandered her eyes around, and I saw admiration. ¡°Mine.¡± ¡°Yours?¡± Her eyes were disconcerting. ¡°What do you mean yours?¡± ¡°I own the house.¡± I wanted to say we owned the house, but she couldn¡¯t know it now. ¡°You¡¯ll be safe here. Just don¡¯t tell anyone, especially your father. I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t trust him. If he could sell you, he won¡¯t hesitate to do it again.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re exaggerating things. Tyrion has epted his defeat, and so did my father. Business is business. They shouldn¡¯t keep grudges.¡± ¡°I wish I could take your words, but I don¡¯t trust them.¡± ¡°I have Qamar. Lynx cane with me too. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t stay here. I have work, and after what happened at the conference room and the stocks, I need to focus on taking back what thepany has lost.¡± ¡°Yourpany didn¡¯t lose anything but Weston¡¯s. Cade is already your new shareholder. He will support whatever you have ns. You have nothing to worry about than Weston¡¯s payback.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Just stay for the night. It¡¯s Sunday tomorrow. You need to rest before you go back to working your ass off.¡± ¡°I said I can¡¯t. If you want to protect me, I won¡¯t stop you from sending them to my house just for you to sleep soundly at night.¡± ¡°Just one night, Estelle.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡± She was already walking toward the door when she was blocked and stopped by my two men, Izaak and Keane. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Get out of the way, or I will call the police.¡± Her warning didn¡¯t even budge my men. They didn¡¯t move, but Estelle was beginning to be pissed off. When she turned to me, her face was red in anger. Sketchy eyes narrowed at me. ¡°Are you keeping me hostage here, Gabriel?¡± ¡°No, baby,¡± I assured her, but she was getting even pissed. ¡°You¡¯re not going out tonight until I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be safe.¡± ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind if you think I will listen. I escaped from my father once. Do you think I can do it again?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Don¡¯t even try, Estelle.¡± ¡°Bite me,¡± she challenged me. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Later when just the two of us.¡± She walked away from me, stomping her heels, the pretty red fuck-me-high-heels. ¡°I suppose I have my own bedroom. I need clothes, and I want privacy.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I hate you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean that. Follow me.¡± I went to the hallway to the elevator. Once we were inside, I wrapped my arms around her from behind. She was still pissed at me, I could feel her body vibrating, but she should know that I would give my life to keep her safe, not only from Weston but from the impending threat. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, baby.¡± ¡°I have a feeling you¡¯re not telling me the whole story.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gonna lie, but I will tell you in due time.¡± ¡°And when is that?¡± She faced me. Our noses were merely an inch apart. ¡°You looked tired.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t slept since I left your house. I barely grabbed my lunch. I was busy calling and returning calls since morning.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Her voice softened. Her brows were drawn. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you until I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Are you in danger?¡± ¡°Not at this moment. Don¡¯t worry. If I am, then I will send you far away from me because thest thing I want is to put you in grave danger.¡± Yet, here she was. How did I be so selfish and stupid at the same time? ¡°I think I¡¯d rather we face it together. You helped me get mypany back, and I didn¡¯t even thank you for what you did. Shit.¡± She briefly closed her eyes. When she stared back at me, I couldn¡¯t help but admire those big blue eyes. ¡°What I did back there was unfair. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You will thank me by staying with me tonight.¡± Finally, I saw the smile- the kind of smile that reached her eyes as we reached the floor to the guest room. ¡°You did all that for me? Why?¡± I walked her to the room and opened the door for her. ¡°I would do everything for you. I told you from the beginning I will always be here for you whether you need me or not.¡± The room was excellent that met her taste, with a modern interior and light neutral colors. It had an adjacent bath, and I already filled the closet with the clothes and anything she needed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I doubted your words. I thought you didn¡¯t even know me to do something like that. I¡¯ve had helped, but they wanted more in return.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of man, Estelle.¡± ¡°I know. Thank you.¡± When she cupped my face, I leaned down to kiss her quickly. ¡°I know you will probably be busy, but I will keep the door unlocked.¡± I smiled. ¡°Good idea. Do you need anything else?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± She quickly got my smile. ¡°For food, Gabriel. A sandwich will be fine.¡± ¡°Take a rest. I¡¯ll send your sandwich.¡± Before I left, she called me again. ¡°The background on my father, is that true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 39 ESTELLE ¡°Do you really think I would not find out who had been helping you with your little stunt yesterday?¡± ¡°Dad, it wasn¡¯t a secret. And you should ept my winning. And I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m still the bad guy here after what you did to me. Why don¡¯t you try opening another business? You are a good wine connoisseur. Besides, CTEC doesn¡¯t keep you busy already?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like you know anything. You¡¯re just an overly ambitious little brat. Don¡¯t worry, Estelle. I will be there to watch you fall.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so out of line. Instead of being happy for what I¡¯ve aplished, you¡¯re terrorizing me. You conspired with Mr. Weston to take my seat. What kind of father does that to his child? And before I started thispany, you didn¡¯t believe in my capability. Remember what you said? Go and find an 8-hour shift job to pay your bills. I sent you to a good school not to waste your time on something unreachable.¡± I clenched my jaw hard when I began to vibrate in anger. ¡°You really think you won?¡± ¡°Yes. You made me question my worth, Dad because you¡¯ve never supported my dreams and thought I would be just like my mother, leaving you. Maybe you¡¯re right on one thing. You really disappoint me right now.¡± ¡°Do you think you would be where you are right now if not because of me and Tyrion? Go ahead and celebrate your little victory because tomorrow, I will see who¡¯s gonna help you get yourpany back on track. And I don¡¯t think your boyfriend will make any difference.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this. Bye, Dad.¡± I tossed my phone to the couch before I lifted my gaze and met Linden¡¯s sympathetic eyes. He¡¯d been standing there leaning against the doorjamb while listening to what I said to my father. ¡°He¡¯s something, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Your mom. She sounds like a good mother.¡± I smiled sadly. ¡°She is. She¡¯s very supportive and sometimes pushy, like Mr. Braddson. That¡¯s why I offered the CEO seat to her.¡± He came to the couch and wrapped his arms around me. ¡°You¡¯re gonna be okay. Your father will soon realize his mistakes. It may take time, but time will heal.¡± ¡°I wish I¡¯m optimistic like you about my father¡¯s forgiving nature. He¡¯s the kind of person who can never be bent and tamed.¡± ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ve met people worse than your father. London¡¯s father, Sadie¡¯s, too. They¡¯re like Commodus.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Sadie¡¯s father is-¡± ¡°A ruthless mob boss who ran an underground empire called Absolom Organizations.¡± I froze to a soft woman¡¯s familiar voice pulling me away from Linden¡¯s arms. ¡°Sadie?¡± Linden sounded surprised. Oh, great. We were just talking about her, and now she was in the house. When he stood up, I did too, but then he went to Sadie and hugged her as if he missed her. The question was, who was she to him? ¡°Sorry foring over unannounced. Nice ce, by the way. It¡¯s perfect for you.¡± ¡°Thank you. Did youe alone? Where¡¯s Cenric?¡± Linden looked at the door, but no one came in. ¡°Introduce me first to yourdy friend.¡± A meaningful smile appeared on Sadie¡¯s lips. ¡°The woman who broke up with me via a piece of paper, this is Estelle. Estelle, this is my best friend¡¯s wife, Sadie Greer.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± I suddenly felt shy. She was gorgeous in a beautiful tweed dress, and I was only in my shirt and jeans. ¡°Nice to finally meet the woman who thawed his cold freezing heart.¡± Instead of shaking the hand I offered, she hugged me tight. ¡°Please, take care of him.¡± ¡°More like he¡¯s taking care of me and everyone.¡± ¡°I heard that,¡± Linden chuckled. ¡°It was intentional.¡± She rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Linden?¡± Someone just called Linden in a very authoritarian deep voice. Then the man appeared at the door in a well-tailored suit and tie. His skin was tan, like he spent much time in the sea. Then I realized I¡¯d seen him before-the Crypto developer. ¡°C.¡± They hugged each other in a brotherly manner. ¡°Nice house, brother.¡± ¡°I still love my old house.¡± Cenric chuckled. ¡°Of course you do. You can¡¯t leave your garden behind.¡± Then he came to me. ¡°Sucker-punch him if he ever misbehaves, and call the cavalry if he ever mistreats you. I¡¯ll be the first one to break that perfect nose. Nice to meet you, Estelle.¡± He offered his hand. When I gripped it, I didn¡¯t expect he would pull and hug me. Then he whispered, ¡°Wee to the family, Estelle.¡± ¡°Thank you?¡± I was still confused about what was happening, and my reply came out as a question rather than a statement. ¡°Can you excuse us?¡± Cenric asked. ¡°No. You two talk in front of us,¡± Sadie replied as she sat on the couch to my right. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Stick around. This is a family matter, and you¡¯re one- our newbie to our growing, messy family,¡± she said coolly. Cenric sat across Linden and us. ¡°I talked to Devin today. He had no news about Jasper. Thest time he heard from him was the same day he came to you.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Devin? Jasper?¡± ¡°Jasper is my brother, and Devin is my former bodyguard,¡± Sadie said. ¡°Yeah, I met him at Osmium. Wait, he¡¯s missing?¡± I was more shocked than confused. ¡°I hope not, but he left to find someone. He ns to disappear, but I have a feeling that what happened wasn¡¯t a part of his n,¡± Linden said. ¡°I contacted the man who helped him back in Greece. No one has seen him there. He¡¯s in the wind.¡± A deep frown appeared on Cenric¡¯s handsome face. I just realized they all looked attractive. ¡°I checked his credit cards and passport activities. None. As if he didn¡¯t leave town.¡± Linden looked helpless. I never knew he was close to Jasper. Sadie looked away with a deep breath as if she had some ideas of what was going on, while I could barelyprehend, as if they were talking in riddles. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be okay. I can¡¯t guarantee you when, but Jasper seems to be a tough guy.¡± I put my hand on top of hers and squeezed it. She smiled sadly at me. ¡°He is. I hope he¡¯s okay somewhere.¡± She then looked at Linden. ¡°Are you sure his contact didn¡¯t give him an assignment?¡± ¡°No. The FBI is never involved.¡± I ping-ponged my gaze between them while I was entirely lost. ¡°Good. You both are here.¡± Moses just came into the living room. Then Striker and another big tall man like Linden joined, making the room seemingly small for all of us. I could feel the tension rising, which seemed crucial for everyone. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the updates. I came by as soon as I got some free time. What¡¯s going on?¡± The big guy asked before he found me and smiled. I smiled back timidly. ¡°Nice crib. I almost get lost on the way.¡± Sax just walked in. Then Kye. What the hell is going on? ¡°Do you have any news, boss?¡± Linden asked Moses. ¡°Not at this moment. I¡¯m still collecting intel. It looks like he didn¡¯t make it to any of his posts. That¡¯s the reliable information I have. I¡¯m sorry, honey,¡± Moses said and turned to Sadie. ¡°I can go dig up, see his old post in Canada,¡± Kye suggested. ¡°Go ahead. Use every resource you can get,¡± Linden told him. ¡°What can I do?¡± Striker asked. ¡°Be with your wife. We got it covered,¡± Linden told Striker, then he looked at Beck. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t like that guy. Sadie knows that, but he changed and has proven his loyalty to you. I¡¯m here to help if you need me.¡± ¡°Be with Maeve, and don¡¯t leave your ranch. I have a feeling this is bigger than Jasper. I don¡¯t know, but I feel it in my gut.¡± ¡°You might be right. Did he mention who asked about him?¡± The big guy asked. ¡°No, but I¡¯d never seen him so anxious. You know Jasper, he can be cocky, but he can be a good leader and follower, but that day, I felt goosebumps all over me.¡± Now I just did and rubbed my arms to let go of that feeling. Sadie wiped her tears, and everyone saw that. ¡°I will pay a huge amount just to find my brother.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I have all avable resources at their disposal. We will find him sooner,¡± Moses guaranteed her. ¡°I¡¯ll contact Terzo.¡±Terzo? The tattood Terzo? ¡°Why?¡± Sax questioned him, receiving all the attention at him. ¡°He might have some information,¡± Linden replied. ¡°What can he possibly have that the Hover can¡¯t gather when they have every piece of advancedputer equipment avable that every agency dreams of.¡± ¡°Contra to what you believe, it won¡¯t run alone, Sax. We need human resources to make it work. You can gather data online feeds and ess every traffic camera and CCTV, but you need people to do the same in remote areas where there are no cameras and inte. Terzo is a mafia and good at finding people. He had connections everywhere in Italy and some other countries.¡±A mafia? I swallowed hard. I just shook hands,ughed, and got drunk with him, and I had no idea he was a mafia. ¡°That bastard.¡± Sax red his nose. I didn¡¯t know Terzo was, but he looked resourceful. ¡°I think we got it all wrong. Jasper didn¡¯t leave the country. He¡¯s here all this time. His source is in the country. We just didn¡¯t know who yet.¡± Linden picked up his phone and dialed. While waiting, he gripped my knee and mouthed if I was okay. I just nodded because, honestly, I was a little bit overwhelmed. ¡°I want you to run facial rec from three days ago. Search for Finnigan Morin, Canadian. He could be blond buzz cut, six-two. Call me as soon as you get a hit. Thank you.¡± Who are these people?All I knew was they were wealthy, but I felt like I didn¡¯t exist when they were around. ¡°What if he was taken by my father¡¯s old associates?¡± Sadie found her voice again. ¡°What made you say that, baby?¡± Cenric asked his wife. ¡°He went to see Hanslo before he left.¡± Everyone shared looks. ¡°That¡¯s worth checking out. I¡¯ll go talk to Hanslo.¡± Sax raised his hand to volunteer. Sadie nodded. ¡°Tell her Charmaine says hi so that he will talk to you.¡± *** I was still in a shocking state when Linden joined me in bed. ¡°Hey. You¡¯re still up.¡± ¡°I realize I don¡¯t know you at all.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He joined me inside the nket and pulled me closer to him. ¡°You have Moses Braddson as a second father, billionaire best friends, Striker and Cenric. You have men who woulde when you¡¯re in trouble. Peoplee to you when they need your help. You know who reminds me of you?¡± I turned my head at him. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°You¡¯re like a Batman of Gotham City.¡± Heughed. The bed shook, and so was my body. ¡°He¡¯s pretty cool, though.¡± I turned my back on him. I couldn¡¯t allow him to see that I was getting worried. What they talked about earlier made me think that his line of work was dangerous, gathering and trading secrets and nothing that they couldn¡¯t find, and it always involved risking and saving lives. Now I¡¯de to the conclusion that I didn¡¯t think I wanted to raise my child alone. I couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°But he also gets hurt. He¡¯s vulnerable when he¡¯s with the people he cares about. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt, Gabriel.¡± I felt him freeze for a moment before he hugged me tight from behind. ¡°Hey. Nothing¡¯s going to happen to me. I promise.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that. I kind of searched who Hanslo is. What he did before. Then you mentioned Terzo. I didn¡¯t know he was a mafia until you discussed him earlier. God, I wasughing with him without knowing who he was.¡± ¡°Now you know why you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Am I in danger?¡± ¡°Everyone I care about is.¡± Chapter 40 LINDEN I¡¯d been blowing off steam in the gym for three hours, but no matter how I tried not to overthink, it was Jasper we were talking about. Sax didn¡¯t look too happy to see me beating up myself for something I had no control over. ¡°Sex would be a good sub. I mean, for fuck sake, bro. You have a beautiful woman in bed, and here you are, lifting weights and punching a bag in the middle of the night. What¡¯s wrong with you? If I only had someone like Estelle, you wouldn¡¯t see me in the gym.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a dick. Women are not only good for sex. They are not your sex toys or sex ves, asshole.¡± ¡°Whatever, man. Maybe you need a cuddling or a bonfire date and make some s¡¯mores. When was thest time you took her on a date?¡± Guilt settled in my chest. I looked away. ¡°I have more pressing matters, and Estelle understands me.¡± ¡°Of course, women sometimes are hard to read. They say they¡¯re fine, but they aren¡¯t. Maybe she¡¯s just trying to be understanding, but deep inside, she also needs her boyfriend.¡± ¡°Fuck you.¡± Ignoring his annoying voice, I started throwing punches over the punching bag. It felt good, though, even if it began to wear me out. Sax went to hold the bag as I punched it and did a high kick. ¡°Whoa. That was awesome. Anyway, I visited Hanslo. He looked okay, considering he had a heart attack.¡± ¡°What did you find out?¡± I blew a breath with each strike. ¡°Jasper went to apologize to his father.¡± I stopped, focusing on him. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°I did what Sadie told me. He just smiled and said if you¡¯re here to know what Jasper and I talked about, I told him he didn¡¯t have toe all the way here. I¡¯ve forgiven him a long time ago. He said one thing he didn¡¯t regret was raising him in a tough environment. That¡¯s how he survived. Do you know what that means?¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. I breathed deeply as Sax helped me take off my gloves. ¡°There was no good of searching for that person. He knew exactly where to go. The question is why and what¡¯s his n? Goddamn it. I should have kept him in Canada.¡± ¡°Well, you can¡¯t me yourself for everything that went wrong. Jasper¡¯s life had already been fucked up a hundred times before you took him into your wing. You can¡¯t save everyone, especially when he doesn¡¯t want to be saved. I just hoped he knew what he was doing before he left.¡± ¡°No wonder we couldn¡¯t find a trace of him anywhere. Considering we trained him to go under the radar, he knew how to hide. He could be underground at this moment.¡± ¡°Honestly, I admire his courage, and he learned a lot. Aside from Finnigan Morin, who else is his alias.¡± ¡°Jakob Resnikov, Yiannis Dimitris, Julien Pierre.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding?¡± His jaw dropped. ¡°Jasper is fluent in Russian, Greek, and French with a degree of political science. He¡¯s also good with an ent. A good asset to the FBI. The agency also wanted to recruit him, but he chose to stay. He said his life belongs to the Firm.¡± He blinked. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s noble.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let him waste his life not only because he is a good asset, but he¡¯s Sadie¡¯s brother, and he¡¯s part of Osmium. I owe him a lot. The least I could do was do my best to find him. If he sent me a message to know that I should stop looking for him, at least I know he is alive. That fucker Hanslo didn¡¯t mention any clue or names? He must have his way of words.¡± ¡°I should have recorded it. Let me think.¡± I watched Sax as he concentrated. ¡°Come on. You can do it.¡± He drew a deep breath before he spoke, which made me want to punch him in the face. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna shit.¡± ¡°Fuck you.¡± He wasn¡¯t joking, though. Sax ran to the bathroom, and I went to the locker to grab my towel before showering. I found a missed call from Estelle twenty minutes ago. I redialed her number, and she picked it up right away. ¡°Hey. Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I call just to check up on you?¡± Shit. I pressed my forehead against the locker as I took a breath. ¡°Sorry. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really not good at this, aren¡¯t you?¡± There was humor in her voice. Sax was right. I was horrible to Estelle, yet she was still patient. ¡°I¡¯ll be home in a few.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m watching a series with Micah.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you once this problem is over.¡± ¡°There will be another and another. I know your line of work. I can be busy sometimes, but I will always have time for you, Gabriel. Just take care of yourself. Get enough sleep and eat something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sleeping and eating.¡± ¡°You sleepte and wake up early. You just made breakfast for us, but you barely touched it. I¡¯m worried about you, Gabriel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, and I don¡¯t know how long this gonna take, but I¡¯ll be a better partner. I promise.¡± I could hear her sigh, which reminded me of how an asshole I was. ¡°Okay. See you.¡± *** ¡°Finish your breakfast, Gabriel.¡±Wow.I had to blink. That was the first time Estelle scolded me before my men and Micah. She looked hotter when she was mad and bossy, but I didn¡¯t think I should piss her off all the time. They shared a look and tried to hide their smiles while I just stared at her in amazement. Damn, she was a wife material. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± I ate until the te and coffee cup were empty. Estelle didn¡¯t say a word but turned her ass on me and went out of the kitchen, leaving us stunned. ¡°You heard thedy boss,¡± Lynx agreed. ¡°We need your hundred percent focus on the task, boss.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. Can you clean up? I just need to talk to her.¡± ¡°Go ahead. We got this,¡± Qamar said. I found Estelle in front of the mirror as she applied lipstick on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna be sorry for how I acted in the kitchen,¡± she stated firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not here asking for your apology. It¡¯s my fault, baby. I¡¯ve been neglecting you, but you never left. I took you for granted for days, and I don¡¯t know how to make up for that, but when I needed you, you were there for me. I was unfair. It won¡¯t happen again. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She pursed her lips as if to think if my apology was good enough. ¡°How about you take me to lunchter?¡± ¡°That can be arranged.¡± My face ached at how big my smile was. She tiptoed to cup my face. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Gabriel Rembrandt.¡± She went to work in a separate car with my men tailing her. She didn¡¯t argue with me when she was enlightened that all I wanted was her safety. At Osmium, I had a lot of paperwork. We stopped searching for Jasper when he seemed didn¡¯t want to be found. ¡°Hope, can you call Jay Den for a reservation for two?¡± ¡°Anything else, boss?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Before I forget, I wanted to make up for Estelle. ¡°Wait. What kind of flowers a woman usually likes?¡± Hope¡¯s eyebrow raised, and then she smiled. ¡°For Ms. dwyn, I suppose?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°She likes flowers, but you should never go for red. Have you checked out her Instagram?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t even follow her. Is it bad?¡± She hid her amusement, but it was still all over her eyes. ¡°Not necessary. It means you trust her, and she trusts you. It¡¯s also a part of my job to know about who you¡¯re dating.¡± Everyone around me woulde with a thorough background check, that included Estelle, but I hadn¡¯t made that order. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡± ¡°Estelle likes pink, purple, and white. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll send a bouquet to her office. Do you want a message?¡± I paused for a moment. It had been a while since I sent a woman flowers. When I meant it had been a while, I meant it was ages ago. ¡°Just say what you wanna say. It doesn¡¯t have to be sweet or cringy.¡± Iughed. ¡°Don¡¯t work too hard.¡± ¡°See? You¡¯re not so bad. Should I put Linden-¡± ¡°No, no, no. Gabriel is better.¡± ¡°Got it, boss. And before you forget. This Friday¡¯s fundraising.¡± ¡°Shit. Can you find me a good tux?¡± ¡°I can do better than that. I know your measurement. You¡¯ll have it on Thursday.¡± ¡°Thank you. I need a floor-length gown, too, Estelle¡¯s size, and jewelry. Match the ne with earrings. Use my card. Make sure it matches the gown. Not too glittery. Take ck and white. Jesus, I don¡¯t know what color she likes.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter as long as it fits her. She has a beautiful skin tone. ck or white are safe choices.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Four hourster, Lynx barely parked the car. I was runningte, and I had to walk into her office building until I was almost hit by a reversing ck sedan. Didn¡¯t he see me in his rearview? ¡°Watch out,¡± Lynx yelled at the sedan. He had his arm on my chest, his body protecting me. ¡°What the fuck?¡± He then turned to me. ¡°Are you okay, mate?¡± Amused and impressed, I stared at him. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re better than ninja, man.¡± The sedan stopped, the door opened, and a brte in a suit exited the car. ¡°Oh, my God. I almost hit you. Are you okay?¡± She came to us and kept babbling about her excellent driving. I didn¡¯t pay much attention, but I checked the time on my watch. Good thing I knew the restaurant wouldn¡¯t cancel my reservation. ¡°Maybe you should reassess your driving skills, ma¡¯am. You almost ran over my boss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯mte for my business,¡± I told Lynx. ¡°I should go.¡± ¡°Wait. Gabe?¡±Wait. Did she just call my name?¡°Gabe Linden.¡± Well, shit. When I looked closely, I realized I really knew her. ¡°You know her?¡± ¡°Sk.¡± Fuck. ¡°I almost got killed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s over-exaggeration. Wow. Gabe, it¡¯s been-¡± ¡°Seven years, yeah.¡± Sk hadn¡¯t changed, but I guessed she looked more professional in her outfit. She had the same smile thest time I remembered. And thest time I saw her seven years ago was when she told me she was pregnant with myrade¡¯s child. How fucking awesome was that? ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. Thanks. You?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but check her fingers. She wasn¡¯t wearing a wedding band or engagement ring. So that fucker didn¡¯t marry her, or they got divorced in between those seven years. ¡°I¡¯m good. I just came from the meeting. Maybe we should catch up sometimes.¡± Fuck no. ¡°Boss, we¡¯re runningte on your date.¡± Remind me to give an extra bonus to Lynx. I didn¡¯t want to make the situation more awkward, like running into your ex, who broke your heart kind of shit. Her expression changed. ¡°So you¡¯re seeing someone.¡± ¡°Yeah. I was about to pick her up. She¡¯s in this building.¡± I pointed at the building behind me. ¡°I just came from there.¡± ¡°Look, I should really go. Take care, Sk.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± I dashed to get out of her as if my ass was on fire. She only reminded me of what heartbreak could do to someone. ¡°Let me guess, your ex.¡± ¡°That was awkward.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°She broke your heart.¡± ¡°Long story short, she was fucking someone else while I was on tour.¡± ¡°Well, bloody shit.¡± ¡°That was a good save, Lynx. I owe you.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± He smirked. ¡°Shut up.¡± Chapter 41 ESTELLE ¡°Hey. Please,e in. I¡¯d been so excited sincest week.¡± Wi was so carefree. Her eyes always lit up, and she met you with a huge smile. At least, that was how she showed me. ¡°Hi.¡± We kissed each other¡¯s cheek as she weed me into her art gallery. The entrance instantly showcased a few signature pieces by some well-known artists. ¡°I took Micah with me. Micah, this is Wi Linden.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Friend of Estelle is a friend of mine.¡± She began showing me inside the gallery. Some were intriguing pieces, bold paintings, and sculptures. ¡°Interesting.¡± But one painting caught my attention. ¡°You like it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Knox has his way of creating bold colors. His technique is an illusion, three-dimensional. Do you know Mykel?¡± I turned my head at her. ¡°Mykel Creed? I don¡¯t personally know him, but yeah.¡± ¡°You will meet him soon. Hees to see the guys when he¡¯s not busy. How¡¯s my brother?¡± She knew something. I could see it in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m meeting him over lunch.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She smiled. ¡°Join us.¡± ¡°And be your third wheel? No way, and I don¡¯t think my brother would appreciate ruining your date.¡± ¡°Thene to his home on weekends.¡± ¡°His new house?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Do you know the story behind that new house?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Moses¡¯ gift.¡± ¡°Wow. Really? He gave Gabriel that house.¡± My eyes grew big. ¡°He has a soft spot for my brother.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I saw how he looked at him. Maybe he just wanted to have more children.¡± ¡°My brother is good with him. He admires that man. Can I offer you a wine?¡± ¡°Just sparking. Wine for Micah.¡± Wi told her assistant, then noticed my bodyguard, Qamar, had just got inside. ¡°Gabe takes your security seriously. I also have someone watching my ass, and I pretend I didn¡¯t notice him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Qamar and those other guys who follow me everywhere.¡± I pointed outside. ¡°My brother has his way of showing how he cares about someone. He can be domineering, but he has a good heart and is selfless most of the time.¡± She gave me a ss of sparkling water and a ss of wine, Micah. ¡°How did you get into arts?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been a curator for a while, but after my nasty divorce, Cenric and Gabe offered to fund my passion.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I saw the pain in her eyes before it disappeared. I touched her arm. Again, she smiled. ¡°I was young and stupid.¡± ¡°We all had that one stupid moment.¡± I chucked because I had experienced it at hand, and now I got knocked up, and my baby daddy still didn¡¯t have any idea I was carrying his child. ¡°My brother, too. I¡¯m just happy you found each other. He smiles more often now.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile before I drank my sparkling water. ¡°I was thinking of shooting our campaign in your gallery if you allow us. Of course, your gallery will bepensated and get a credit.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± She looked surprised. I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a lot of time to consider. I promise they won¡¯t touch you¡¯re setup, and we will cover the damages. It will be included in the contract.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? I don¡¯t need time to think. Yes.¡± She did with a little exaggeration of her hands. ¡°Really?¡± I was also surprised that she agreed pretty quickly without hesitation. ¡°What¡¯s the concept?¡± ¡°Diversity.¡± ¡°I love it.¡± ¡°We¡¯re preparing for our nextunch of cosmetic products and new activewear collections. The baby products, maybe, willeter next year.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really good at what you do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a team effort,¡± I proudly said. ¡°You run Star LLC, your mother is the CEO and its subsidiary, and you are still here when someone could juste over and approach me.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Sorry, I kindly googled you. And I thought you¡¯re pretty badass.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a badass too, Wi. You have been through a lot, yet you stood up from that fall, and now you¡¯re here doing your passion.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna throw my brother into the deepest sinkhole if he won¡¯t put a ring on that finger.¡± Our voices echoed in the entire shop as weughed. *** ¡°You got a reservation just this morning?¡± I was impressed as he ushered me to my seat. ¡°Yup.¡± Linden kissed the top of my head before he went to sit across from me. ¡°I know the owner.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I was about to say something, but I held it. ¡°What is it, baby?¡± Before I could reply, the waiter came. ¡°I¡¯ll be your waiter for today. Would you like to order now?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Wine isplimented by the chef,¡± said the man who came to us in a white shirt and pants. Linden shook tough before he rose from his seat. ¡°Hey, Pops.¡± Oh, boy.My smile faded. I wasn¡¯t ready to meet his father, but here we were.I should have known better. Now I see the uncanny resemnce. He wasn¡¯t kidding when he said he knew the owner. I just didn¡¯t think it was his father. I stood up and smiled. I suddenly felt shy because he was now standing before me. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Estelle. It¡¯s good to meet you.¡± ¡°I heard a lot of good things about you, Estelle. I know you well before I even meet you.¡± He hugged me instead of just a handshake. ¡°I¡¯m so pleased to meet you.¡± ¡°Thank you. You have a nice restaurant, Mr. Linden.¡± ¡°Oh, drop the formality. Call me Jaymes or Pops, honey.¡± ¡°Jaymes. I was just with Wi earlier. You raised two good children, sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud of them. Anyway, I wouldn¡¯t take much of your time. Order what you want. It¡¯s on me.¡± ¡°No way. Join us. I¡¯d like to know more about your son and can¡¯t wait to hear about his embarrassing moments.¡± Jaymes was a cool father, the opposite of what I had, but I couldn¡¯t change that, but be a good woman he raised. ¡°Come on, Pops.¡± An hourter, we were stillughing while Linden did nothing but shake his head in amusement. The food was amazing. I¡¯d never eaten too much that I almost said no to dessert. Linden¡¯s ears were getting redder when his father told me during his high school days. ¡°Really? He¡¯s chubby?¡± I looked at Linden. He had mixed emotions but didn¡¯t stop his father from oversharing or walking out like other people who got embarrassed by their parents. ¡°I was overweight at that time, but already taller and got bullied all the time.¡± ¡°He put everything in his mouth that I cooked or brought from the restaurant I worked for. And maybe his hormones. He didn¡¯t even date anyone-¡± ¡°Okay, Pops. You¡¯re oversharing.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about, son.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah? You just told my girlfriend ten of my most embarrassing and awkward moments.¡± I smiled. My heart went a little wild when he just called me his girlfriend. Now we officially had abel. ¡°So, Jaymes, did you meet the girl that broke his heart.¡± ¡°Estelle,¡± he said with a fond smile. ¡°Come on. I wanna know about her,¡± I said with a shrug.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°You¡¯re gonna bete for your meeting.¡± ¡°How do you know I have a meeting?¡± I checked my watch. ¡°Oh.¡± I was thirty minuteste. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d beenughing and talking to you for almost two hours. It¡¯s been a while since I had fun, Jaymes.¡± ¡°Come and visit me sometimes, Estelle.¡± ¡°That can be arranged, sir. It¡¯s really nice having lunch with you.¡± At the car, Linden went awfully silent. ¡°You¡¯re mad?¡± He put his hand on my thigh. ¡°Why would I?¡± ¡°Because I asked a lot about you.¡± ¡°And that would make me mad? You make my fatherugh. I never heard himugh that loud like you two were just talking at home on the couch with a cup of tea. Thank you.¡± He did a little squeeze on my thigh. ¡°I had fun. You have a wonderful father, Gabriel. You¡¯re lucky. Wi is also amazing.¡± ¡°Did she also make fun of me? My family has their way of embarrassing me in front of the people we care about.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s the best thing. If you think it would change my perspective of how I see you. You¡¯re wrong. I think beyond that broad chest, b abs, and hard biceps. You have a lot of good things in you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me cry.¡± He faked, wiping his tears before he squeezed me into a hug. Linden didn¡¯t send me up to my office. He was afraid that I would bete for my meeting with the creatives. ¡°Micah?¡± I didn¡¯t find her on her desk where I dropped my bag. But I was more shocked to see who was sitting at my desk. My mood soured. ¡°What are you doing here, yton?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Estelle. I tried to stop him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Micah. Go home and spend time with your boyfriend, Qamar.¡± She gripped my arm, hoping it was her cue that she got my message because my panic button was in my bag on her desk. ¡°I¡¯m here to see my future wife.¡± Chapter 42 LINDEN ¡°Sirius is in trouble.¡± Lynx quickly turned the car around. Tires screeched against the asphalt. Thankfully we did not get that far from the parking area. ¡°What do you mean Estelle is in trouble?¡± My heart was in my throat, given that he didn¡¯t say any details. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough info, boss. Her assistant called Q, but she didn¡¯t hit her panic button.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I want more info from Q. We were just there. How did Q not even see this?¡± In less than two minutes, we pulled up to the parking area. I quickly jumped off the car and ran towards the building. Thankfully the elevator was in the lobby, and we didn¡¯t have to wait, but it looked like no one knew what was happening in her office. I pressed the button to Estelle¡¯s office floor while Lynx was listening on them. ¡°Mr. Weston is in her office.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± My head snapped to Lynx. My eyes narrowed. ¡°The son.¡± ¡°Son of a bitch. What does he fucking want?¡± I growled. ¡°Calm down, boss. It looks like thedy boss handles the situation right.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit.¡± I breathed through my nose as I exited the elevator. My hands formed into fists on my sides. If I saw something I didn¡¯t like, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to throw him out of the building. I could fucking care less of his father suing my ass. ¡°Will you stay behind me?¡± I ignored Lynx. I heard a muffled voice when I entered Micah¡¯s office. Estelle was talking, which made me stop. ¡°You should talk to your father beforeing over without an appointment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the son of Tyrion Weston. I can go wherever I want, even a Taylor Swift fucking concert backstage.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s my fault that I haven¡¯t informed the security that Weston can no longere to this building without an appointment.¡± It looked like Estelle handled the situation well, considering how calm she was, even if that piece of shit was cussing. I could even imagine her raising her brow at yton with her arms crossed over her chest. ¡°You can¡¯t fucking do that.¡± yton had no manner of talking to a woman. I couldn¡¯t fathom what her life would be if she married this asshole. ¡°I can. As of today, we are finalizing the contract termination documents, and your father has already sold his share in Star LLC, and so did my father.¡± ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?¡± He growled at Estelle. His eyes were probably fumed with anger. ¡°I suggest you watch your tone when talking to me, yton. You are in my building, in my office, and I have every right to call security to escort you out if you continue disrespecting my authority.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. My father would never allow you to continue running thepany. You are incapable, and the rest of the shareholders don¡¯t trust your ability to be the chairman.¡± ¡°Oh, really? How did thispany earn a worth 1. 3 Billion if I¡¯m incapable? Let me guess. You are more qualified. What you¡¯ve been doing for thest four years, yton? What are your qualifications?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a brat. Don¡¯t be so smug. Without my father, you¡¯re nothing.¡± Estelle tsked. ¡°You should have attended the emergency board meetingst Saturday if you are here to insult my capability to run thispany from the very beginning. Besides, where were you? Busy partying? As far as I know, I¡¯m the most capable and have all the qualifications to be the chairman. You, on the other hand, don¡¯t have a single share. And your father¡¯s, he sold it to Striker Cade.¡± ¡°Who the fuck are you without my father¡¯s help? Do you remember how youe to his office asking for money?¡± ¡°And I paid it ten times over. I made the ten million capital one hundred times the value. Why do you think your father trusted me more than allowing you to run his own business? Because you care more about a lot of parties than what¡¯s on the stock market. Now get out of my office.¡± ¡°You bitch-¡± Unfuckingbelievable. I couldn¡¯t listen to this airhead, arrogant son of a bitch anymore. Slippery slope. My chest filled with repulsion as I pushed the door wide and stormed inside. Qamar was just behind Estelle and Micah. ¡°Yes, she is a bitch. A boss bitch. Now get the fuck out, Weston.¡± I didn¡¯t hold back. My voice was cold and ominous. They all just turned their heads in my direction. From the corner of my eye, I saw Estelle try to hide her smile. ¡°Who the fuck are you ordering me to get out?¡± His expression turned deadly. His jaw locked that he had just been interrupted by a man taller and bigger than him, and there was no way he could intimidate me. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. I¡¯m Gabe Linden, Chairman, CEO of Osmium Resource Group, shareholders of Star LLC. Technically, I own a portion of the building you are in. And I¡¯m the boyfriend you kept belittling and cursing while you tested my patience and self-control, listening behind the door. I have a lot of experience with men like you, Weston, and it always ended badly for them. So I suggest you walk out willingly.¡± ¡°He¡¯s your boyfriend.¡± He turned to Estelle. ¡°You¡¯re having an affair while we¡¯re about to get married?¡± Estelle scoffed, causing yton¡¯s face to be redder. ¡°That¡¯s not happening, and yeah, because payback is a bitch. Did you really expect me to be faithful and loyal and just stand there, waiting for you and watching you swing your dick around with different women every night, catching STDs? No. And you can never have these tits and ass. Isn¡¯t that what you said?¡± ¡°What the-¡± I inwardly groaned. ¡°Sorry, dude, but she¡¯s been mine for weeks.¡± ¡°This is not over.¡± His nose red. ¡°Go home, yton, because you won¡¯t every a hand or disrespect my girlfriend again.¡± ¡°Whatever, she¡¯s fucking ugly anyway.¡± He walked out, mming the door behind him, causing Micah to startle beside Estelle. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure he leaves the building and inform the security that he¡¯s not wee on this premises. I¡¯m sorry, boss,¡± Qamar said before he walked to the door. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I was the one who told him not to send me inside the office.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still my duty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, and if he ever makes a wrong move, I will hit him with this beautiful vase.¡± She pointed at the vase with the flowers I sent her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I closed the gap between us, hugged her tight, and kissed her head as I rubbed her back. ¡°I should have sent you here.¡± She looked at me as she pulled away. ¡°Enough with the, I should have. I¡¯m fine, and I don¡¯t know if he would ever try hurting me with Qamar and Micah around. It wasn¡¯t necessary to inform you, but I understood, and I was relieved he came here instead of somewhere private or in the establishments. You know, nowadays, people record crap for content to earn views. That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about, people watching me getting embarrassed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s harassment. I will never allow that to happen to you.¡± I kissed her forehead. ¡°I know, boyfriend,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s quite impressive what you said back there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re awesome. I should have never underestimated you handling a situation like that. That was pretty badass.¡± ¡°Shit. The meeting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll understand.¡± Micah came in. ¡°Do you want me to move your meeting?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked her. ¡°Nothing like that jerk can stop me from moving forward with my ns.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. I¡¯m sure you have work to do, and I have Qamar to save my ass if something unpredictable happens.¡± ¡°Keep your panic button in your pocket all the time, baby.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing that from now on.¡± *** ¡°You¡¯re just telling me now when I¡¯m pinned down and naked beneath you, that leaves me no choice but to say yes.¡± She groaned and bucked her hips in a pathetic attempt to get off me. ¡°That¡¯s the whole point. Don¡¯t resist. I know I feel so good inside you.¡± I thrust inside her inzy strokes. Every time I bucked my hips, she let go of shuddering breaths fanning my face. ¡°My first time to attend a fundraising with an actual date.¡± ¡°Bastard. What do you mean by actual?¡± She finally wrapped her legs around my waist as I deepened and thrust harder. ¡°Can we talk about itter? Make mee, then I will decide.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking no for an answer, Estelle. And yes, I will make youe with an earth-shattering orgasm.¡± I didn¡¯t waste any second. I leaned in to kiss her hard and fucked her harder and faster. The bed rattled, and she was quickly euphoric, her body tightening. Her moans grew louder. Her fingers dug deep into my skin, and I knew in seconds she was going to have her explosive orgasm. ¡°God, yes!¡± ¡°I know you would say yes. You can¡¯t resist my charm. ¡°Screw you,¡± she said as she convulsed. Her inner muscles mped around cock. Her teeth dug into my shoulder. It was painful, but I liked it. She waspletely blissed out as shey in bed, catching her breath, smiling with eyes half-mast. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going with you.¡± And it didn¡¯t take longer. My orgasm came rushing unexpectedly. Chapter 43 ESTELLE Linden had good taste in gowns. My mind went wondering how many women he dressed up for a party. The white long sleeves floor-length gown had a deep v-cut and thigh-high slit but still looked sophisticated and elegant. He evenplemented it with a Serpenti diamond ne that matched the earrings from a famous jewelry brand. My makeup was light except for my Star statement red lipstick. I wore my hair down in loose curls. I caught him gazing at me from head to toe. Thanks to the Spanx, and even without, my baby bump wasn¡¯t noticeable. I was scared he would notice it when I was naked. ¡°Did I pass your standard, dear sir?¡± I looked at myself again in the mirror before turning to him. He remained at the door, but judging by the look in his eyes, he seemed satisfied. And did I mention he looked so good in a tux? ¡°You¡¯re stunning. The word stunning doesn¡¯t even fit to describe you tonight.¡± I took steps close to him, and he took my hand and kissed it. ¡°You clean up pretty well, Bond, James Bond.¡± That cracked him up. ¡°I tried at least to match your perfection. And damn those lips.¡± He dressed to impress in a ck tux. He trimmed his five o¡¯clock shadow and pulled his hair back. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± ¡°Later, and that¡¯s a promise.¡± He winked at me, making my knees wobble. ¡°We¡¯ll see how the fundraising goes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a deal.¡± Linden became a little paranoid. We rode in the ck Cadic with two Tahoe SUVs tailing us. I didn¡¯t question his decision because he knew what he was doing, and I didn¡¯t ask about the development of their search for Jasper. I just felt that he was so worried that Jasper might be in danger, considering that he was the son of Hanslo Greer. Yeah, I picked that up a little. For thest few days, Linden hade homete. He took a lot of time in the mini gym in his house and stayed longer in his study than I¡¯d ever been in. Then he sleptte and woke up early. I had a feeling that, somehow, he med himself. I just didn¡¯t know why. We arrived at the fundraising for those who suffered after serving the country. The ballroom was filled with men in uniforms, their wives and girlfriends supporting the good cause. ¡°I had never been into like this before. I donate to a lot of charities, though, most for children.¡± ¡°Until you meet me.¡± I smiled as I patted his hand on top of mine. ¡°I guess I never really appreciate you guys a lot. We wouldn¡¯t have aplished peace and solidarity without people like you protecting our country and countrymen abroad. Thank you for your service, big guy.¡± ¡°Big guy, huh?¡± He snatched two champagne and offered one for me. I had no choice but to take it from him. Otherwise, he would suspect something. ¡°You¡¯re my big guy.¡± ¡°To you guys, our heroes.¡± I raised the flute and took a little sip. Then I recognized Beck-the man who went to Linden¡¯s housest week. ¡°We haven¡¯t formally introduced. I¡¯m Beck Corbin. And this is Maeve, my wife.¡± ¡°Hi. You probably know me, Estelle.¡± When I offered my hand, he hugged me instead. ¡°We don¡¯t do handshakes.¡± ¡°I kinda noticed that. Hi Maeve.¡± We did cheek kissing. ¡°I heard so much about you. It¡¯s a pleasure.¡± ¡°Really? All good things, I hope.¡± Cenric was also here with his wife, Sadie, and I felt something change in the air. Then Mykel walked in with a gorgeous woman in his arms. Who didn¡¯t know Mykel Creed, the former notorious yboy? ¡°We have a member?¡± He smirked at me. ¡°Who would have thought Gabe Linden would bring a date.¡± ¡°Ignore my poor-mannered husband. ¡°I¡¯m-¡± ¡°Adley Kross.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She smiled. Her aura brought light to the room. She looked happy, terribly happy. ¡°Estelle dwyn.¡± ¡°Of course. The Star Activewear. I bought a few pairs.¡± ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s awesome.¡± ¡°I¡¯m into eco-friendly products.¡± ¡°Hey, guys.¡± London in a blue evening dress. She reminded me of a royal member, looking elegant and blooming even with a baby bump. ¡°Rome sent his donation. That man is always busy,¡± Striker said as he hugged everyone, including me. ¡°I¡¯m d you are still with us and not running up the hill as far away from our dysfunctional family.¡± ¡°Speaking of dysfunctional, I came from one, so I know the feeling. My father turns out to be a jerk, wanting to take over my seat.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re not alone, sister,¡± London said. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Striker snaked his hand on his wife¡¯s waist pulling her closer. ¡°That¡¯s for another day.¡± ¡°Her father set them up for marriage to save his ass from a notorious Italian Mafia.¡± ¡°What?¡± I stared at Linden and back to London, who didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°I was kidnapped,¡± she admitted. ¡°These guys, including my husband, saved me.¡± ¡°My father sold me for 25 million dors to my husband,¡± Sadie said unapologetically. My jaw dropped. I thought I had the worse experience. I was wrong. Thest thing I knew, I was hugging Sadie so tight. ¡°You¡¯re in good hands now.¡± ¡°I know, and Cenric never treated me his property or something. ¡°I think it¡¯s a good story when we tell our children how we met,¡± London said. Striker looked at his wife in disbelief. ¡°You will tell them that?¡± ¡°Why not? It¡¯s kinda romantic, minus some unnecessary details.¡± ¡°How about you? How are you gonna tell your children?¡± Mykel asked. All of a sudden, pairs of eyes are pinned at me, making my face heat. I suddenly didn¡¯t know how to answer. For one, I had a kid that none in this room knew, and two, I hadn¡¯t thought about that because how I met Linden wasn¡¯t that epic. ¡°Hmm. Well, ask me again when I¡¯m married.¡± Everyoneughed. I blew out a shaky breath. Huh! That was closed. ¡°That was the safest answer,¡± Linden whispered into my ear. When the music started, and some went to the dance floor and began dancing, Mykel and Cenric took their wives to dance with them. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to dance, but let¡¯s go Maeve.¡± Beck left with his wife, leaving just the four of us. ¡°What do you have in mind, brother?¡± Striker asked. ¡°Should I go?¡± ¡°Where?¡± Linden looked at me. ¡°Maybe you two need to talk about something.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t keep secrets from you, Estelle. He will say what he wants to say. He knows that.¡± ¡°Do you have news?¡± He asked Striker back. ¡°No, but you¡¯ve been spending time in the gym. You¡¯re stressing out, Linden. I know you. You should stop ming yourself for the choices he made and for whatever reasons he has.¡± ¡°When I saw the look in Sadie¡¯s eyes when she arrived, I felt I just told her I gave up searching, and what¡¯s worse, I couldn¡¯t say it to her face because I am guilty.¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t do that to yourself. Jasper made that choice, and you can¡¯t exactly tell him no because that¡¯s his decision. You gave him a chance to have a normal life, and I am sure he is grateful for that, but that¡¯s his life, and you can¡¯t me yourself for everyone¡¯s mistake because they¡¯re under your care or protection. You did everything you could, and that¡¯s all that matters, brother.¡± He sighed shakily. ¡°I¡¯m giving Rome¡¯s donation and finding my wife a non-alcoholic drink. You two should dance. By the way, you look lovely, Estelle. Knee him in the groin if he kept giving you that look.¡± ¡°What look?¡± Linden asked his best friend even if Striker just walked into the crowd with his wife. ¡°He¡¯s right, though.¡± ¡°Which one? That you look lovely?¡± I looked at him in the eye and red. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Just kidding, but seriously. You¡¯re gorgeous.¡± ¡°You are too hard on yourself for their decisions and doings. I know you¡¯re a good leader-¡± ¡°Lately, I doubted myself a lot.¡± ¡°Stop, baby.¡± I cupped and held his face. ¡°You are a good leader. You wouldn¡¯t have those men following you if you were not. A leader doesn¡¯t only give orders. He stays behind his men and gives them a chance to grow. And I can assure you, they will follow you even if you have nothing, a title or a position because you have their trust.¡± ¡°Can we go home now?¡± ¡°No. We donate, then dance. Then we can go home and get me naked in bed.¡± ¡°Thank you. I would love that very much.¡± We went to the donation table. I scanned the code and put in a reasonable amount to donate. Linden did the same. ¡°Hungry?¡± ¡°For you, yeah.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Stop it.¡± I held his hand and took him to the buffet area. I picked finger food, not that I was starving, but I had high respect for this worker. ¡°Gabe?¡± My back stiffened to a female voice calling my man. I turned around. ¡°Good to see you again, Gabe.¡±Again?A beautiful brte around Linden¡¯s age in a white dress. One thing I instantly noticed was her smile, as if she¡¯d known Linden for a long time. She first kissed him on the cheek, but the smile never faded. ¡°Yeah. For a good cause.¡± His answer was short, as if he was counting his words. ¡°I am sure your brothers in the vets would really appreciate your help. I kinda searched for you on social media. And I just found out that you founded Osmium.¡± ¡°I have a lot of help.¡± ¡°Yeah. You still keep in contact with your team. I saw Cenric and Beck earlier. I can¡¯t believe time flies so fast, and they¡¯re married.¡± She always kept that confident smile that began to irritate me. ¡°Yup. Happily.¡± ¡°Maybe I should visit Osmium sometimes, and I would like a tour.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Then I realized something in the way they conversed. They dated back in the day. And here I was, fading in the background. ¡°Can I have your phone?¡± I heard hard breathing from Linden before he took his phone from his pocket and gave it to her. Once she was done saving her number, she offered it back to them. And I couldn¡¯t watch it anymore. I slowly stepped back and walked away. Chapter 44 LINDEN Shit! Of all the ces, why should I have to run in with my ex here? My brothers knew what she did to me and how it changed my view of rtionships. And yet, here I was, trying to y nice to her when she didn¡¯t deserve it. ¡°Babe-¡± I turned to my right, but Estelle wasn¡¯t beside me anymore. I was supposed to introduce her to Sk, so my ex would know she didn¡¯t break me, that I had moved on and had a great life. But she was gone. ¡°I should go and find my girlfriend.¡± ¡°Oh, the brte? I think I saw her go to the powder room.¡± She smiled. ¡°See youter, Gabe.¡± I just nodded before I left her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Beck asked me, gripping me around my arm. ¡°I¡¯m checking Estelle.¡± ¡°In the restroom.¡± He looked at the sign at the corner. ¡°Yeah. Thedies room, Beck.¡± I suddenly became irrationally pissed off. ¡°Estelle isn¡¯t there. She went to the entrance. I talked to her for a bit. And what the fuck are you doing talking to that bitch?¡± ¡°It¡¯s amon courtesy, Beck. Why would I be bitchy when I¡¯ve moved on and happy with someone else.¡± ¡°I call it wasting time when you should be dancing andughing with your girlfriend. And stay the fuck away from that woman because all she brings with her is jinx and destruction.¡± ¡°Let me go and find Estelle.¡± I looked down at his grip, loosening around my arm. ¡°Good luck exining because when I talked to her, she looked pissed.¡± Fuck. I ignored Beck. God knows how much I wanted to hide from that woman, but she seemed to know where to find me since that almost run-over incident. I was runningte for my date with Estelle, and now I suddenly bumped into her again, and Estelle just walked out on me. Beck was probably right. I went to the entrance and scanned the area. I found a few men with their partners, but I couldn¡¯t see Estelle anywhere. I dialed Lynx. ¡°Where is Estelle?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she supposed to be with you? Did you call her number?¡± I squeezed my shut. When it came to Estelle, sometimes I turned dumb. ¡°Call you back.¡± I dialed her number, but she didn¡¯t pick up. I typed a message instead. LINDEN: Can¡¯t find you in the ballroom. Where are you?¡± I waited for a few seconds before I typed again. LINDEN: Baby, call me back. I¡¯m at the entrance. I went to the parking lot. Lynx and other guys met me, except for Qamar. ¡°Where is Q?¡± ¡°I just found out Ms. dwyn isn¡¯t feeling well. I guess she ate something bad. They hurriedly left in the sedan and didn¡¯t inform everyone.¡± ¡°Call Q to send Estelle to the hospital. I need to talk to her. Estelle is not picking up. That man shouldn¡¯t just take her alone, risking her without informing you. If he wants this job, he should follow protocol and not decide on his own.¡± I got into the SUV and sent a group text to everyone that I was leaving early. As soon as the vehicle left the parking lot toward the main road, I called her number again. Maybe she put her phone in silent mode. ¡°Boss, Q is on the line.¡± I grabbed the phone from Lynx. ¡°Where are you? How is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s good, boss. We¡¯re ten minutes to her house.¡± ¡°To her house? Who told you to take her to her house?¡± Lynx got my cue, telling Yue where to go. ¡°She said she already talked to you. That¡¯s why I drove her home.¡± I let go of a shuddering breath. ¡°Put her on the phone.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Beck was right. She sounded pissed. ¡°Baby, please don¡¯t do that again. You can¡¯t lie to your detail. A single misinformed detail could jeopardize your safety.¡± ¡°You know the safest ce on earth is your home because you trust the people inside, and you familiarize yourself with every room and exit of your house.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°Because I wanna go home, and you can¡¯t stop me, and because I don¡¯t work for you. I¡¯m not your property, and enough with men with guns. I¡¯m terrified of it.¡± ¡°Okay. No guns. Just me and Q, and asionally Lynx if I need him.¡± ¡°I wanna be alone for some time. I want my freedom like before. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Why did you leave the event without informing me?¡± ¡°You were busy entertaining guests.¡± ¡°And you sneaked out instead?¡± She blew a breath. ¡°It¡¯ste, Gabriel. I¡¯ll talk to you in the morning. Good night.¡± ¡°Estelle-¡± She hung up the phone. Great. ¡°Lynx, tell them to stay at Estelle¡¯s house for tonight. ¡°Yue, drive us home.¡± ¡°Yes, boss.¡± I untied my tux and loosened a button. ¡°Is everything okay, boss?¡± ¡°Yeah. I know why she left, but she¡¯s pissed at me. I can¡¯t reason out when she¡¯s not in a mood.¡± ¡°Women will only be pissed if you forget anniversaries, special asions like their birthdays, if you cheat, or out of jealousy.¡± I called Kye. ¡°Just got home. The posts remained untouched. It looks like he never went there unless he maybe kept some stash somewhere in their old house?¡± ¡°Cenric bought the house years ago. And I doubt he would ever sneak in. I¡¯ll check out if he purchased a property recently.¡± ¡°Anything else, brother?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I second thought of asking him a favor. ¡°Can you put the phone to Sax?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Brother, miss me?¡± I rolled my eyes, which I didn¡¯t do often. ¡°Sax, can you do something for me?¡± Heughed. Of course, he did. ¡°Do you really have to ask me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s personal.¡± ¡°Oh, boy. Are you and the beautiful billionaire okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you about.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even know what favor I¡¯m asking, asshole.¡± I groanediooooooooooooooookl. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°I want you to follow Sk Davis.¡± ¡°Why that name sounds familiar?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°She¡¯s my ex.¡± ¡°Well, shit! Why? What did I miss? Isn¡¯t she the woman who broke my heart?¡± ¡°How did you know about her?¡± I was surprised he knew about it. ¡°Well, we, your brothers, talk gossip when you¡¯re not around.¡± ¡°You should not make it a habit. Fine time to read books about investments instead, asshole.¡± He barked out,ughing. I thought he would damage my eardrum. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you better than following her. I can check her background within seven years.¡± ¡°That would be great. If you¡¯ll be busy, give it to Kye discreetly.¡± ¡°What made you wanna check her out?¡± ¡°We bumped into each other twice, and I don¡¯t call it a coincidence. She even gave me her number. Whatever she¡¯s after, I wanna find out. Just be careful, Sax.¡± ¡°Thanks for the heads up, brother.¡± ¡°One more thing. Don¡¯t do it at Osmium. I don¡¯t want to use our resources for personal favor.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I arrived home. Lynx went ahead to open the door and the rest to check the backdoor and the monitor in the control room. I was typing a message to Estelle when Lynx came with a white envelope in my name. ¡°LINDEN. The penmanship doesn¡¯t look familiar,¡± I told Lynx before I tore it open. It was a white bond paper with a one-lineputerized message. ¡°Stop looking for him.¡± Lynx and I stared at each other briefly before he pulled his extra handgun and gave it to me, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the guard.¡± Then he talked to hism. ¡°We have a breach.¡± On full alert, I checked the magazine before I went inside my house. The living room seemed untouched. No furniture had been moved or broken windows. With adrenaline rushing, I went upstairs toward the hallway, opened my bedroom, and checked for traps and windows. The bathroom windows were locked. I walked out, locking the door behind me. I met Yue in the hallway. ¡°Clear,¡± Yue dered. ¡°I¡¯ll check my office.¡± I went down. Lynx walked in my direction. ¡°They¡¯re checking the footage. Raj said no one entered the gate since we left. The rm didn¡¯t go off. No movement in the monitor. How did someonee in undetected?¡± ¡°Unless he knows what he¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°I thought only a few heads knew your house.¡± Lynx followed me to my office. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± I took a picture of the keypad on the lock. ¡°Yue, can you bring me a ster? I need a clear one.¡± I dialed Qamar. ¡°Boss?¡± ¡°I have a breach in my house. Keep Estelle close. Don¡¯t let her out of your sight until I figure out who came into my home.¡± ¡°Copy, boss.¡± I took the tape from Yue. Before I applied it to the keypad, I checked if it was dusted or wiped out. There was still a fingerprint. Either it was mine or the intruder¡¯s. I put the ster on it, took it out, and checked for the print. ¡°It looks like mine.¡± I entered the password. Before I opened the door, Yue and Lynx were on my side. Even Estelle never checked me out in the office or asked me toe. She respected my privacy, I guessed. I sighed as I couldn¡¯t find anything unusual. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Check the video for thest five hours.¡± Lynx left, locking the door behind him. I took off my jacket and ced it on the chair. When you had The Hover as your resource, it was only a matter of time before finding the culprit. I went to my desk and turned on myputer to scan the fingerprint I had gathered. I took my biometric scanner and connected it to my pc. The scan began. It didn¡¯tst one minute. The result came out. ¡°Shit.¡± I went out of my office and went to the control room. They were still ying the video in fast-forward motion. ¡°Did you find anything, boss?¡± Yue asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s fingerprint you found?¡± ¡°Mine.¡± Chapter 45 ESTELLE My heart was in my throat to find Linden outside my bedroom. Maybe this was how it felt when someone caught you lying or in an awkwardpromising position. His eyes went to my hands, tying my robe. Breathless, I asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not answering my call. You¡¯re not replying to my messages. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Call me if you need anything,¡± Dr. Chesca said. ¡°I will. I¡¯ll walk you out.¡± ¡°No need, dear. Micah will bring my things to the car.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I turned to Micah, and she nodded. ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am.¡± Shit. ¡°I¡¯m Gabe Linden.¡± He offered his hand. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Dr. Chesca.¡± My doctor delightfully shook his hand. ¡°Is Estelle okay?¡± he asked quickly. His expression changed, filled with worry. ¡°Yeah. I came to check her up. She¡¯sining of lower abdominal pain. Nothing a mild analgesic can¡¯t help.¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved. Thank you, doctor.¡± Linden nodded in understanding, but I still saw mixed emotions in his eyes. There was a moment when you wished you could stop the time. This was that moment. I wanted Linden to stop asking questions. When I thought I could avoid it, I didn¡¯t know how long I could keep from lying to him. I had to tell him one way or another, and it was for him to decide whether he was in or out of raising our baby. ¡°Are you feeling something that I can help?¡± Dr. Chesca followed up. ¡°Yeah. A little heartache, maybe.¡± He faked his grimace and ced his palm on his chest. Dr. Chesca patted his chest as she looked at him with a smile. ¡°Kiss-pirin once a day.¡± ¡°I wonder where I could get it, doctor.¡± Linden grinned like an idiot while I, on the other hand, red at him. Once my doctor left, I was quickly held hostage outside my room, caged in his arms, pressed against the wall with his hard body as he mmed his mouth against mine. My breathing held my lungs. My words stuck in my mouth. My attempt to push him away as I ced my hands on his chest, trying to break free, was an embarrassing failure. When he was done and satisfied as I kissed him back, he let his lips free, kissing my forehead. ¡°I missed you.¡± I rolled my eyes as I went to my room. I knew he was following me even into my walk-in closet, but I was still upset with him for entertaining his ex. I knew it was irrational, and we had been only in a rtionship for a few weeks, which got me knocked up, but he seemed to forget that he was with me, his girlfriend. I didn¡¯t know the feeling of jealousy until I saw how that bitch looked at him as if he was the perfect dessert of the evening. I dropped my robe down my feet when I could sense him behind me. Then I picked up a shirt and shorts and put them on. ¡°What about our deal?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question.¡± I put my clothes on and faced him. ¡°I said I missed you. I wanna see you and be with you since it¡¯s the weekend. I wanna take you somewhere.¡± ¡°Tell me about your ex.¡± I walked to the lounge. ¡°I thought so.¡± With his long and fast steps, he was on the couch before me, pulling me into him to sit on hisp. ¡°You¡¯re jealous of someone irrelevant in my life ages ago.¡± ¡°You met her recently.¡± ¡°She almost ran over me when reversing just outside your building.¡± His tone was a bit little defensive. ¡°Uh-huh. That¡¯s why you werete.¡± ¡°I barely said a word. God knows I wanted to escape from her, but she kept talking, and I never disrespected women, even if I didn¡¯t know them. I replied when I was asked or talked to. That¡¯s how I was raised.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He leaned in to kiss my exposed cleavage up to my neck. ¡°New scent? I love it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± He groaned. ¡°I really don¡¯t wanna talk about her, Estelle.¡± ¡°Then we don¡¯t talk.¡± My tone was harsh as I became more annoyed. ¡°We go right straight to the deal? That¡¯s awesome.¡± I could even hear the anticipation in his voice, ignoring my irrational jealousy. ¡°The night didn¡¯t exactly go well. Your gown is in the closet, and your jewelry is locked in my safe.¡± ¡°Those are yours.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t ept the jewelry. The gown is fine.¡± He blew a breath into my face, showing how bored he was. But I saw more pain than boredom. ¡°I don¡¯t wear a ne, and I don¡¯t even have my ear pierced. Keep them. Maybe you can send them for auction. I don¡¯t care. Donate the money to the orphanage. Up to you.¡± I thought I had broken my heart when he looked down with that heavy sigh. ¡°I looked for you, and then she told me she saw you went to thedies room. She lied. Beck saw me and told me that you had gone to the entrance. I knew at that time that I couldn¡¯t ever trust her. I met her twice after what she did seven years ago, and it was twice a week. I found it strange.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s just a coincidence. Nothing more.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, baby. One thing I am sure is I would never go back to her even if the hell freezes over. She changed me into a man I didn¡¯t even recognize. She broke that belief that a rtionship wouldn¡¯tst. Then I saw my brothers happy with their wives. I attended their weddings every year and listened to their vows. They thought I hatedmitment. They thought I¡¯d never wanted to get married, have kids, watch my kids grow, send them to school, and grow old with my wife. Because I know how to mask my emotions, I learned how to hide them, but deep inside, I wanted to have a girlfriend, go out on a date with her, spend weekends over theke, ride horses in the ranch, and go home to her after a tiring day at work.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say or how to react to his confession. One thing I could give him was attention, my love, our kid. Maybe it would take time to be on that road, but we took one step at a time. ¡°Her name is Sk. Sk Davis,¡± he continued. ¡°I met her in college. She was the only girl that paid attention to me because I still had a few pounds. When I told her I wanted to join the Marines, she was okay with that. We went on a date a couple of times. Then I took her to the bar. That¡¯s how she met Miles. The rest is history. The worst part that broke my confidence was that she said I was too naive and inexperienced.¡± That broke me intoughter. ¡°She wasn¡¯t apologetic.¡± ¡°Then you went wild.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure she heard what I did back then. I don¡¯t give a fuck. I don¡¯t regret what I did.¡± ¡°Then we met.¡± ¡°The night we met, all I could think was boning you.¡± His hands went to my waist as he dipped his nose between my breast. ¡°I was even surprised with myself that I hadn¡¯t jerked off or slept with anyone. I was too focused on my work. I thought that helped.¡± ¡°I admit your self-control is unparalleled.¡± ¡°I just want to be with you. Of course, I want to fuck you. You gued my brain with you in those tiny pieces you call swimsuits.¡± Then he lifted his chin and met me in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m happy you stay with me despite my messy life.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°I have a pretty fair share of mess. You stayed and helped me go through it.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather hang myself than watch you marry that dick. Did hee back?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± I replied with a pop. ¡°I¡¯m sorry aboutst night, Estelle. I swear, I have no intention of hurting you. Ever.¡± ¡°I overreacted.¡± I wrinkled my nose. ¡°I like that you¡¯re jealous, but really, baby. There¡¯s nothing to be jealous about, but I should stop my obsession with stalking your Instagram and reading thosements.¡± ¡°You what?¡± I asked incredulously. My eyes grew big. ¡°Why are those guysmenting on your posts?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t your women followers like and do the same?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t readments.¡± ¡°So, just my ount, huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a jealous type, baby. Trade carefully.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m terrified.¡± I raised my eyebrow, challenging him. ¡°I¡¯m yours, just don¡¯t leave or let me go. We¡¯re good.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I grabbed my phone from the coffee table, tapped the camera, posed myself, and clicked shot. It was a good shot. He was looking at me, those eyes filled with affection, but not paying attention to what I was doing. I did a few edits with the lighting, but everyone knew I never used filters. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Now you suddenly sound panicking.¡± I posted the photo to my Instagram ount with the caption, Lazy Day with a blue heart emoji. I already followed him, but he never did follow me back. I showed him my post. ¡°Happy?¡± He briefly looked at it before he gave his full attention to me. ¡°I trust you, Estelle. You don¡¯t have to make a statement to the world. Your words are enough.¡± ¡°I want that bitch to shut up.¡± ¡°I deleted her number because I had no ns on calling her. If she wants to visit Osmium, fine, but I¡¯m not giving her any idea that I want to have lunch with her. I hope she got that memost night.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not with anyone?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t give a shit. Are we good?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡± ¡°I should be the one apologizing for walking out on you.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. I¡¯ve just proven my worth.¡± ¡°You should follow me, Gabriel Rembrandt.¡± Hisugh was silent, but his body shook as he took his phone. ¡°If it makes you smile, fine.¡± He showed me my profile, and he had already followed me. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°I want more than a kiss. How¡¯s your tummy?¡± I stilled a little when he put his hand on my tummy. ¡°It¡¯s fine. How¡¯s your heartache?¡± ¡°Magically healed.¡± He beamed. ¡°Qamar told me about what happened in your house.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t find any trace of the intruder. Whoever he is, he¡¯s an expert, well-trained and experienced. You¡¯re safe here. I thought my house was safe since only a few heads knew the address, but I was wrong. Maybe you can have a vacation and go somewhere for a while?¡± ¡°I just came from a long vacation, Gabriel. I can¡¯t do that when our products are under production. Also, we can¡¯t live in fear.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He kissed me on the lips. ¡°Maybe you should stop looking for Jasper. Maybe he¡¯s the one who put that message into your house. He had ess to Osmium, your office, and files. Maybe he did it.¡± ¡°Shit. Fuck.¡± He squeezed his eyes shut as he pursed his lips. ¡°Of course. He has ess, even in the Gunner Room.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in the Gunner Room?¡± ¡°We use channels to connect multi-video links, current action ns, and crisis support. The Gunner room has a 24/7 flow of sensitive information data from the Hover and back and forth.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s huge. But I¡¯m smart, am I not?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He kissed my lips again with a loud smack. ¡°You are, baby, but I can¡¯t cancel his ess. He didn¡¯t return his security badge card. Maybe he needs it.¡± ¡°Is there a way to find out where he used the card or check the log thingy?¡± ¡°Yes, and the log thingy.¡± His smile widened as he kissed me again. I felt like he was taking advantage of our situation, but I didn¡¯t mind it at all. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would do without you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t work alone. Your brain is just overworked. You need to rx a bit. It won¡¯t make you any less of a man or a good leader if you ask for help once and a while. And don¡¯t you worry, I n on sticking with you for a while?¡± ¡°For a while?¡± ¡°I¡¯m up for a negotiation, Gabriel.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll negotiate in bed then.¡± Chapter 46 LINDEN ¡°It is always like this every weekend?¡± Estelle asked, a little overwhelmed. I stopped in front of the fridge. ¡°When the gangs are around, yeah.¡± She went to the window of my father¡¯s kitchen with a smile on her face. I took her here this morning since I felt like this was the safest ce for her. When I sent a group chatst night, I wasn¡¯t expecting everyone woulde. Even Moses was present. I brought another batch of beers to the backyard. Estelle had a tray of desserts. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let ady carry, asshole.¡± ¡°Language.¡± It was my father scolding Sax. ¡°Sorry, Pops.¡± He took the tray from Estelle. ¡°I pass for the dessert. I think I had never been stuffed in my life. The brisket was so good. The best I ever had.¡± Mosesplimenting my father made him even blush. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s a technique made with a good amount of time and attention. Just like a rtionship, it needs good nurturing.¡± I didn¡¯t miss how my father stole a nce in my direction. ¡°I agree. I can¡¯t have another brisket than this one, Jaymes.¡± Estelle came to sit beside me. My father¡¯s backyard was not even big, but enough for an entire family. And he also cultivated some herbs on his own. ¡°That¡¯s kind of you, honey.¡± ¡°I thought I had tasted the best omelet. Now I can¡¯t wait to taste the original Linden version,¡± London took a break from eating for twenty minutes, but she went back to her smoke brisket burger. ¡°Pop¡¯s omelet is unbeatable. Try asking Wi.¡± I pointed my thumb at my sister next to me, making Kye and Saxugh. ¡°Don¡¯t ever, ever trust her in the kitchen. She¡¯s awful.¡± Kye had a terrible experience thest time he let Wi take charge of it. He couldn¡¯t forget it. In fact, he made fun of my sister. ¡°Gee, thanks. I¡¯m a foodie, but I don¡¯t cook, Wilder.¡± ¡°Yeah? You¡¯re the only Linden who can¡¯t cook. You should feel terrible about it.¡± ¡°Can you?¡± She red at Sax. ¡°Kye, stop it. The next time youe over, she will poison you. Be careful.¡± Striker grabbed a dessert, giving it to his wife. ¡°Try this one.¡± ¡°Can I take it home?¡± Strikerughed. ¡°Wi made it.¡± London instantly believed her husband. I could see how her expression changed from excited to crunching her nose. Lynx and Qamar were about to shove the spoon into their mouths but paused and put them down. ¡°He¡¯s joking. Dad made that, London. You, two newbies.¡± Wi was referring to my new guys. ¡°I won¡¯t embarrass myself. Trust me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re silent. Are you okay?¡± Estelle looked at me with that sweet smile. ¡°Your dad is awesome.¡± ¡°I know. You, too, are awesome.¡± Moses, my sister, and Estelle stayed in the living room while I helped my father clean the kitchen. Striker and London were on the porch watching Sax and Kye clean up the backyard. ¡°When are you gonna pop the question?¡± Wow. Dad couldn¡¯t make it even subtler. Iughed as I loaded dishes into the dishwasher. ¡°Really, Pops?¡± ¡°You love her. Even a blind can see that. Why wait?¡± ¡°I think, yeah. It¡¯s been a while now, but I don¡¯t wanna scare her. She has trauma, almost married a jerk, and she came from a broken family.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Then prove to her that you are better, and it won¡¯t happen to both of you.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not really the best example, Pops. I don¡¯t even know where¡¯s my mother.¡± I never even tried searching for her, even if I had the best resources out there. I didn¡¯t want to hurt Dad and disappoint myself. ¡°Do you wanna know where she is?¡± Instantly, I saw the sorrow in his eyes. After that car ident three years ago, I didn¡¯t want to see my family in pain and danger. I couldn¡¯t go through that again. I almost lost him if not for an organ donor I owed very much when my father¡¯s liver received too much damage. I shook my head. ¡°She could have reached out to me. I mean, I might think about meeting her, and maybe I should thank her for not being around. I be what I am because of her absence. Wi and I are good because I have a good father. And I never thank you enough, Pops.¡± Pops stopped washing his favorite pan. He never put it in the dishwasher. It happened one time when Wi was in charge of the cleaning. She got at least an hour of his sermon. ¡°You owe me nothing, Gabe. Looking at you and Wi in a good ce, that¡¯s enough for me. And don¡¯t wait for the right time. Marry that woman.¡± ¡°Pops, keep your voice down,¡± I lowered my voice. ¡°What if she said no?¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to happen if you think of what ifs. Propose and find out. If she said no, ask why? It¡¯s not the end of the world. The next time you do it, she will be ready. And I can see that she loves you too.¡± I chuckled, hoping Dad was right. ¡°We didn¡¯t say the three-letter words yet.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you show each other how you feel.¡± I let go of a huge breath. ¡°Then I should shop for a ring.¡± *** Striker and London left for their doctor¡¯s appointment early in the morning, even on Sunday. Rich people made the impossible possible. Moses came to me, and when he did that, I had a feeling that he would tell me something that would keep me awake at night. ¡°What is it, boss?¡± ¡°I have something I sent to your house.¡± He breathed through his nose, watching the guys getting in the SUV. ¡°Can you tell me what it is?¡± ¡°Not right now, but it will answer your questions once you have the package.¡± ¡°You make me worry.¡± When he turned to me with a disconcerting look, I remembered what my father had told me to do. ¡°Maybe we all have.¡± I stared at him for a while before I found my words.¡± Is it about Jasper?¡± ¡°Yes, and among other things.¡± I inhaled a sharp breath. ¡°I think I should check it out. Thanks.¡± Sax and Kye were already in the car, but their eyes were on us. They must have observed the tension in my body and nodded in agreement as soon as they met my gaze. I went inside the house once Moses¡¯ car and his detail left the property. My father met me in the kitchen. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Nothing-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t ever say nothing to me, son.¡± Of course, he noticed every tiny detail around us. ¡°Since Jasper left, there¡¯s a lot of tension in all of us. I¡¯m not sure if everyone is in danger because, for the first time, I feel helpless. Even if I have all the resources, Osmium, The Hover, I don¡¯t know who our enemy is or if we have one, but I feel it in my bone. The hair at the back of my neck always rises, and my gut never lied to me.¡± That was all I could tell him, and thest thing I would do was make everyone worry, especially my father, who had nothing to do with the mess I had. ¡°You¡¯re good at what you do. Just trust your capability.¡± ¡°Thank you, Pops. We should get going.¡± I hugged him. ¡°You take care, old man.¡± ¡°I want grandchildren.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Sure. Whatever you want.¡± After I kissed Wi goodbye, I joined Estelle in the backseat with a box on herp. ¡°What do you have?¡± ¡°Your Pops likes me. He made me a chocte mousse with cherry ripe truffles.¡± Her smile was ear to ear. ¡°Pops loves you.¡± ¡°Well, I love him too. He told me something.¡± ¡°What?¡± My head snapped to her side, meeting her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna tell you.¡± ¡°Baby.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t baby me. It¡¯s just between me and him.¡± ¡°Huh. Okay.¡± Apparently, she found my reply funny, which made herugh. *** Estelle fell asleep quickly after I made love to her. I went to my office to check what Moses gave me. It was in a man envelope. When I dropped the content to my palm, it was Jasper¡¯s security ess card and a photo outside the club, but the club name wasn¡¯t in the image. My heart sank. The air held in my lungs. There was only one meaning to it. This picture could have been taken days ago, and he could be dead. My strength drained. I couldn¡¯t even breathe. I felt the same sorrow when Ward was gone and took half my heart with him. I found myself on the couch. I suddenly didn¡¯t know what to do. How should I tell Sadie about it? A sharp knock on the door startled me. I went to open to expect Lynx or Qamar, but Estelle was in her robe. I didn¡¯t know how I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tight, but I felt it was the right thing to do, or she just became my lifeline. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked on my chest. ¡°No.¡± When she pulled away, she felt my grief. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡± I held her hand to follow me to my desk. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay for me to be here?¡± ¡°Yeah. Why?¡± ¡°Well, I trieding here, wanting to use yourputer, and also, I was curious about why you spent a lot of time here.¡± ¡°I know, baby.¡± I smile timidly. Her eyes went wide. ¡°How?¡± ¡°When the intruder left a message, I checked the fingerprint on the keypad. I lied to my men when they asked me who owned the fingerprint. I told them it¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± She grinned sheepishly. ¡°The passcode is 823423.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me.¡± ¡°I spent here working, reading files, reviewing my men¡¯s performance. I also looked for clues if Jasper left me a message.¡± ¡°So, what did you find out in the log?¡± ¡°It was erased remotely.¡± I showed her the ess card. ¡°Is that his?¡± ¡°Yeah. Moses sent it to me. I think this is a message that Jasper is gone.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you scan it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not good withputers.¡± ¡°Baby, a printer, copy machine. Maybe he left a clue.¡± I cupped her face and kissed her. ¡°I guess I overthink, and maybe I forget the basics. How do you know all this? Are you some kind of a spy?¡± I chuckled as I went to the printer and scanned it. ¡°I love spy movies. When I was a kid, I wanted to be like Ethan Hunt or James Bond, but of course, Dad would never let me.¡± ¡°What am I looking for?¡± She came beside me to look at the screen. It was nothing out of the ordinary. She took the card instead and inspected it from front to back, from side to side, top and bottom. And then she pressed it to check the dent or something. ¡°It¡¯s in perfect condition. How did it send to you?¡± ¡°With this.¡± I showed her the man envelope. She picked it up and checked inside. Then she carefully tore it open and showed me what was written. ¡°Fuck me. Coordinates.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of going to that address, are you?¡± I instantly sense the worry in her voice, making me feel sick in my stomach. ¡°I¡¯m going to see his father first.¡± Chapter 47 ESTELLE The shoot for the uing campaign started. We took models of different colors, sizes, races, and gender because I always believed in diversity, that women and trans were beautiful and had a ce in this world. I had lunch with Wi, Micah, and my mom during the break. Wi was so friendly and got along with Mom pretty quickly. When we came back to the gallery, they already started for thest part. ¡°Darling, can I borrow my daughter?¡± ¡°Of course, Mrs. Moore.¡± ¡°Just Deirdre, darling. I would look too old by Mrs. Moore.¡± Of course, she was joking. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked as she dragged me out of the gallery. ¡°Once the shoot is done, the staff will return to the office. I really love the new collections. I can already see them sold out.¡± ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mom. I wish theunch would go smoothly. I don¡¯t want surprises and disasters. The only surprise I want is how the customers and fans positively react to the products they love.¡± We entered the well-known luxury brand, and I checked the new coat. I like the cut and the color. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯re not here to shop, ma¡¯am. So tell me, why did you drag me in the middle of the shoot?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be there, but I know how hands-on you are. How far are you, honey?¡± I froze. I felt like she just threw a bucket of ice water into me. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Honey, I¡¯m your mother. I was once pregnant with you, and I wasn¡¯t sure when you walked in until now. You¡¯re keeping it, right?¡± I blinked off the tears, but it was toote. Mom was already wiping them off my cheeks. ¡°Hey. I had you when I was twenty-three. But look at you now. I had nothing at that time, and I kept fighting with your dad because he wasn¡¯t ready, and I was on my pills, but he still med me as if I was the only one who wanted to have sex.¡± The saledy came. I took three scarves for Wi, Micha, and Mom. The coat was mine. ¡°I¡¯ll take this and these scarves.¡± I breathed deeply before I spoke. ¡°Are you disappointed with me?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? I always wanted to see you getting married and help you take care of your kids, but definitely not Weston. Thank God. So is the father the one who rushed to your office to save you from yton?¡± I nodded. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± My mom was confused. ¡°I haven¡¯t told him.¡± ¡°You two are together, and he hasn¡¯t found it out. And why not tell him?¡± Mom was instantly angry and shocked at the same time. ¡°We didn¡¯t n this.¡± ¡°Do you think he will leave you when he finds out?¡± Her frown deepened. ¡°Oh, no. He will be thrilled, propose, and marry me right away.¡± ¡°He sounds like a great guy. I wanna meet him.¡± ¡°Of course you do.¡± I smiled as I tried to keep my hormones at bay. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t have morning sickness. Are you seeing a doctor?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s clueless or pretends he doesn¡¯t know. I can¡¯t tell him right now. He has a lot on his te, but once it¡¯s over, I have to, anyway. I can¡¯t keep it any longer.¡± Mom hugged me. ¡°You¡¯re going to be a great mom, honey, and he will be a great father. But I want you to get married before you have my first grandchild.¡± ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°You still have a few months to prepare. Tell him sooner, or I will.¡± My eyes widened. My jaw dropped as I shook my head. ¡°Mom? You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± One word- just one word, that was all it took for me to shut up, and her expression didn¡¯t change. She was not joking right now. My face fell. My stomach twisted. After paying for the things I bought, we returned to the gallery. Before I entered, I held Mom¡¯s hand. ¡°I will tell him, I promise, but you can¡¯t mention it to anyone, especially Wi.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s his sister.¡± My mother¡¯s eyes widened, and she smiled. ¡°Oh, nice. I like her. So, she¡¯s your future sister-inw?¡± ¡°Mom, please?¡± ¡°Okay. Rx. Stress is not good for you.¡± *** I stopped in the middle as I recognized thatugh. I wanted to be updated about Jasper¡¯s case. That was why I came to Osmium, but I ended up being the one getting surprised. ¡°Wee back, Ms. dwyn.¡± Hope smiled and pushed the door open for me to his office. My man sat at his desk while my mom was on the chair. I watched themugh together. ¡°Hey, baby.¡± Linden came to me and hugged me. ¡°I love your mom.¡± ¡°Hi. You have unwanted visitors.¡± Mom stood up for cheek-kissing. ¡°Hey, honey.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came to visit your boyfriend. To my surprise, there are a lot of big yummy guys around here.¡± ¡°Mom, I pretend I didn¡¯t hear you say that.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I gestured to Linden, smiling at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you where he works.¡± ¡°Inte, darling. And I¡¯m the first person to see your post. So I followed him on Instagram.¡± ¡°We followed each other,¡± Linden confirmed it. ¡°So you got a new bestie?¡± I raised a brow at Linden, who never had been so amused. Then I looked at Mom. ¡°You should try his omelet.¡± ¡°Then I wille to his house.¡± ¡°Mom?¡± My eyes widened. She never knew when to filter. ¡°I invited her already.¡± ¡°Wow. How long have you been here, Mom, and you already get invited?¡± ¡°I¡¯m charming. Thirty minutes I think,¡± Mom said. ¡°Well, she¡¯s more charming than Gustav.¡± ¡°You met her father?¡± Mom turned to Linden. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a long story, but I think he hates my gut.¡± ¡°How? He won¡¯t hate you if he sees your bank ount. That¡¯s what Gustav loves.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t see me as equal.¡± Hearing thating from Linden gave a twist to my stomach. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not his equal. You excel in many things-in looks, power, money, and height.¡± Thest one cracked Linden up. ¡°In money? Not even closed. He has loads of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, Darling. He only thinks my daughter is made for yton. When the hell freezes over.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s over now, Mom.¡± ¡°Thank God. Anyway, I just came here to meet him.¡± I held my breath when she turned to Linden and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°I won¡¯t forget the omelet, darling.¡± I let go of a shuddering breath when she walked towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out, Mom.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Before leaving, she had to say, ¡°You have my blessings to marry my daughter, Gabe.¡± ¡°Jesus, Mom.¡± I was still ring at the door, even if she was long gone. I couldn¡¯t face Linden because I felt like my face was burning with embarrassment. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not okay. She¡¯s way out of line.¡± He held my hips and forced me to face him. ¡°Look at me.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Lately, I¡¯m awfully embarrassed by my parents¡¯ behavior.¡± ¡°Look at me, Estelle.¡± When I got the courage, I looked at him. He was smiling, the kind of smile that melted my heart. ¡°One day, you have to decide-¡± ¡°We¡¯re not talking about it.¡± I quickly shut the topic off. ¡°I know you are not ready, but you have to know when you are, I will propose and ask you to be my wife. You know that I wanted to marry you from the first time we talked about marriage.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Are you sure I¡¯m the one you want to marry?¡± I ignored the butterfly fluttering in my belly and faked my frown. ¡°Even if there are thousands of Estelle in another universe, I know my Estelle. I will marry that person without a hint of doubt.¡± I looked down as I nodded. I couldn¡¯t look at him anymore. This time it was not because I was embarrassed, but I was beyond happy that he hadn¡¯t changed his mind. ¡°Say something.¡± I shook my head again. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can wait.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Wait a sec. I¡¯d love nothing to see you here, but why are you here? I¡¯m kinda lost with the marriage thing and forgot to ask.¡± ¡°What is your n with the address?¡± ¡°Shit. Have a seat, baby. Let me call someone from the FBI.¡± He went to his desk and dialed someone on his Phonebook. He then patted the desk for me to sit close to him. When I went to him and crossed my legs, his eyes glinted as if he thought of something wild or mortifying. In my defense, he had a sturdy desk, and my mind went somewhere too. Maybe one day, he could bend me in his home office and do whatever pleased him. I felt his hand on my thigh, and nothing meaningful about it, and I ced my hand on top of his. When the call was answered, he put it on speaker. ¡°This is twice in a month now, Linden,¡± the man from the other line said. I didn¡¯t recognize that voice. ¡°Special Agent Miller, if you could arrange it, I need to talk to Hanslo.¡±Oh, so, an FBI Agent. ¡°I know what this call is about. Haven¡¯t you found Jasper yet?¡± ¡°Before he left, he made sure he didn¡¯t want to be found, but I have an idea where he could be, but before I go, I need to talk to Hanslo in person.¡± ¡°That can be arranged, but I might need something in return.¡± ¡°Of course you do.¡± he chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll inform you about your arrangement.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He hung up the call and pulled me into hisp. ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± I quickly protested. I never said no to him regarding intimacy, but this was inappropriate, even if he was the boss around here. ¡°Just a kiss.¡± He cupped my head and tipped it to the right angle so that he could kiss me. The moment our lips touched, I felt it was perfect. We opened our mouths, and the light kiss turned deep and passionate. And at this moment, without a minuscule doubt, I knew I couldn¡¯t live without this man. Chapter 48 LINDEN ¡°What?¡± Estelle noticed the look in my eyes and the uneasiness in my action. ¡°Will you move in with me?¡± Well, that was unexpected. I did not want her to stay in my house because of our security issue. My problem with Jasper wouldn¡¯t end soon, but even so, I still wanted Estelle to be in our home, to wake up next to her, to sleep beside her, and see her smile before I closed my eyes. I wasn¡¯t just subtle. ¡°You want me to-¡± ¡°Move in with me. You know, taking a big step.¡± I didn¡¯t know why I suddenly felt nervous. What more if I asked her to marry me? I might copse while proposing. ¡°Oh.¡± There was that mix of amusement and joy dancing in her eyes that my not-so-subtle invitation had a chance. ¡°I know we¡¯ve been staying under the same roof, but I don¡¯t want you to get the idea that you¡¯re staying with me because of the security problem. No, this time is different. I¡¯m talking about our rtionship. And I know we¡¯ve just been-¡± ¡°Stop.¡± She pressed a finger on my lips. ¡°Stop so that I can say yes.¡± I¡¯d never smiled so wide my cheek hurt. ¡°Really? I was expecting you would say maybe it¡¯s too early that kind of stuff.¡± ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind my mess, and sometimes I ate and worked in bed.¡± ¡°That can be arranged. You can do that, but not after midnight.¡± ¡°So, can we go to work now?¡± She kissed me quickly. ¡°Yeah.¡± I hugged her again before picking up her bag on the couch. ¡°Don¡¯t work hard.¡± ¡°You too.¡± The way she held my hand, I knew she wanted to say something. When we reached the door, Qamar was already waiting for her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get a space in your closet, right?¡± ¡°You can have the half. I can make the room next door your closet if you want.¡± ¡°No. Just make it an adjacent room.¡± ¡°May I know why?¡± ¡°Sometimes I want to think alone, and sometimes I want privacy.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°And Gabriel.¡± She ced her hands on my chest as she met my gaze. ¡°I know you¡¯re visiting Hanslo in the prison. Just please, take care. Whatever he¡¯s going to say, don¡¯t let it get into your head.¡± I kissed her before I let her into the car. I waved bye. Before I went to Lynx, waiting for me, I looked at her one more time. Sometimes, I had a feeling Estelle was hiding something from me. I may be overthinking it, but my instinct had never been wrong. *** Thanks to Miller, he cut some red tape for me to be talking with Hanslo face-to-face. ¡°I feel special. I¡¯m getting a lot of visitorstely.¡± He was in his prison uniform and handcuffed. Agent Miller was sitting in the distance since two security were with him. ¡°I know you wille. It¡¯s only a matter of when.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I am thest one you see, Hanslo.¡± I crossed my legs as I leaned back. ¡°If you are here about my son. I have no idea where he is.¡± Prison really changed a person. Hanslo maybe still have connections, and although he didn¡¯t have any more money, all his assets were gone, but his intel was still very valuable. ¡°I received his security badge card. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s still alive. Help me out to find him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think he left because he didn¡¯t want you to find him? That¡¯s the purpose of going off the grid. Cut him loose, Linden.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, and I have a feeling he told you something, but you¡¯re not going to tell me. Why don¡¯t you want me to find your son? Don¡¯t you care about life?¡± He breathed deeply and stole a nce at the FBI Agent. ¡°Jasper came to ask my forgiveness for selling me out. I told him, I¡¯ve forgiven you the day you were born. A child can¡¯t pick where he¡¯s born into. I did what I thought was right. I was tough on him. I did terrible things, and look where it took me. I wasn¡¯t mad at him or my daughter.¡± ¡°Sadie is not your daughter.¡± ¡°I raised her as mine.¡± ¡°And sold her.¡± ¡°Your brother Cenric came to my life to destroy everything I built. Do you think it stopped there? I may be here, but not everyone in organized crime is happy because of what I know.¡± ¡°Just cut the shit. What are you trying to tell me?¡± ¡°Do you think Jasper made the most difficult choices when he turned me over to the FBI? No. When he came to visit me, that¡¯s when he broke his heart. He left the job that meant so much to him. For once in his life, he had a real purpose. He made real friends without looking behind his back. He became close to his sister, but all of that is gone because of who I am and the world I left behind, and now, my son is paying the price.¡± Not hiding my despair, I sagged against the chair, and I could do nothing but gape. Jasper made the sacrifice. When I found my voice, I asked, ¡°Why did he have to do that?¡± ¡°When the people you care about are in danger, would you sacrifice them for your life? I don¡¯t think so. I haven¡¯t told you this, and I know you don¡¯t believe a word I say, but you have my gratitude for giving my son a second chance and years of good life to be a good brother to Sadie. I begged him not to do it, but he already made his choice, and even you couldn¡¯t stop it.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s in danger?¡± My eyes bore into his. I was dubious about how far he knew or thus could be his mind trick. ¡°The word around here is the Hover has an advancedputer system. Sometimes, nothing beats an old school.¡± ¡°Just get to the point, Hanslo.¡± ¡°Jasper received a package without an address, and it was clean, containing Sadie¡¯s photo, you going to Osmium, your brothers with their wives, your two sidekicks, Sax and Kye, and your girlfriend.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± My mind raced. My jaw ticked as I shot him a re. ¡°Tell me, Hanslo, or I swear to God.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do anything that they haven¡¯t done, Linden. I have nothing left. The only two things that I value the most are my children. Now that Jasper is gone, my daughter could be in grave danger, and her husband doesn¡¯t know shit because he¡¯s busy making himself rich. Do you think I¡¯m not desperate for her protection?¡± ¡°You med Cenric for what you¡¯ve done? You did this in the first ce, and now Jasper and Sadie are paying the price, you piece of shit!¡± ¡°Then why are you here? You can¡¯t help him, or everyst of you, one by one, will die. How do you think Jasper would take that? Cut him loose and acknowledge that he already epted his fate.¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head violently. ¡°No. I¡¯m not giving up on him. If you can stomach it, I can¡¯t, Hanslo.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know this family. You don¡¯t know this person. They fear no one, even death.¡± Seeing Hanslo terrified made my skin crawl. I knew what he was capable of back then. I knew he didn¡¯t think twice about killing, but right now, after he lost everything, I saw how hopeless, powerless, and vulnerable he was.¡± ¡°Who are they? I need a name.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do anything. If you love your family, your brothers, the people around you, the woman carrying your child.¡± ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± My ear rang. With so much repulsion and shock, I didn¡¯t realize I was coring him, pushing him against the chair, until the guard locked me down, giving me myst warning. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about, Hanslo?¡± ¡°Mr. Linden, this is yourst warning.¡± I just pissed off a special agent and assaulted a convict. Still assailed with a myriad of emotions, I raised my hands as everyone around was on full alert. My breathing caught, but Hanslo never left my sight or broke eye contact with him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I have a child?Those words kept repeating in my head. I lost my concentration. All I could think was about Estelle and my child and the danger surrounding us. ¡°I think we¡¯re done here,¡± Special Agent said. I turned to Special Agent Miller. ¡°Just please, give me five minutes. I won¡¯t do that again, and I will apologize to Hanslo if necessary.¡± He red at me, his jaw clenching. ¡°You have five minutes, or I will detain you for assaulting a convict.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to be a spoilsport. I thought you already knew.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. My head snapped at Hanslo as I sat back down. My nerves were pretty shot. ¡°How the-¡± I took a deep breath to calm down, or else I would end up in a cell next to him. ¡°How did you know all of these?¡± ¡°I may be in prison, but I still have rights and loyal friends, but Jasper, I can¡¯t help him. I can¡¯t protect him anymore. He¡¯s gone for good, Linden.¡±Why am I even so surprised?He shook his head, agony and regrets shed in his eyes. ¡°Promise me you will look after Sadie. She¡¯s the only one I have left.¡± With my gut churning, I asked, even though I knew his answer could devastate me further. ¡°How do you know about Estelle?¡± ¡°She visited a doctor named Dr. Chesca, an obstetrician.¡± Dr. Chesca? Shit. The doctor I met in her house. I clenched my jaw hard. If he was telling the truth, then Estelle had been keeping this secret for me for weeks. ¡°I don¡¯t have time, Hanslo. Who are these people?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the youngest uncle of my wife from her mother¡¯s side. They found out what I did to Yelena. They gave Jasper two choices, to join them, stay alive, and will not do any harm to you and the people Jasper cares about. Or he dies and every one of you, including Sadie and me. I may have a few people looking after Sadie and all the people she loves, but it won¡¯t be enough.¡± Goosebumps erupted all over my body, knowing the threat was real, resurfacing. Still, my mind went back to Estelle. Estelle was pregnant.I¡¯m gonna be a father.How could I be so dumb and clueless? ¡°Name, Hanslo.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know you¡¯re gonna be a father sincest month?¡± Last month? I couldn¡¯t believe she didn¡¯t tell me about it. She had known she was having my child sincest month and never told me. So this was what she had been keeping from me all this time. Jesus Christ. ¡°Name, Hanslo.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help you.¡± Chapter 49 ESTELLE I hadn¡¯t heard from Linden in hours, and he didn¡¯t pick up my call. I started to get worried, but I would know if something had changed in his ns. I was still curious about how Hanslo could possibly help him from prison. I may know nothing about how things work in Osmium, but just the tensions and his sleepless nights, I had a feeling what was going on was bigger than Jasper¡¯s missing. I went home to my house quickly when I felt a little more tired than before. ¡°Do you need anything?¡± Qamar asked. ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks.¡± ¡°I already booked a moverspany. They can have your things in two days.¡± ¡°Thank you, Micah.¡± I blew a huge breath as I went to my closet to change from my work clothes. ¡°I feel like I can sleep the whole day.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± I quickly covered myself with my unbuttoned shirt when I heard Linden¡¯s stern voice asking for me. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I couldn¡¯t believe I still felt when we¡¯d been dating for almost three months now. ¡°Why are you here?¡± I expected a little affection, maybe kissing me on my lips or wrapping me in his strong arms because it had been a long day, and I really wanted some cuddling. ¡°Why did you cover yourself when I¡¯ve seen it all?¡± He snorted, blocking the door. Whatever upset Linden, this must be huge. ¡°Are you drunk?¡± I asked, but his eyes weren¡¯t red. His whole face, though, was red from anger. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m drunk?¡± My brow arched. ¡°Okay. I get it. You¡¯re moody. Things didn¡¯t go well with your n. Let me change. Then we can talk about whatever put your boxers in a twist.¡± I turned around to open a drawer when he threw a question that almost knocked me down. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Are you nning on telling me, Estelle?¡± Slowly, I turned to face him and braced myself against the drawer because I knew exactly the meaning of those questions. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°How long have you known that we¡¯re having a child?¡± Withplete shock, I gasped. My ears started to buzz. My pulse pounded. When I thought I was prepared for this moment, I was wrong. I couldn¡¯t say a word. I was choked with my own lie for weeks. I became voiceless about my own doing. I should have told him the first day I found out. He stalked closer in my direction. His eyes filled with absolute devastation and betrayal from me. ¡°Are you going to answer my question? Was itst month? Or after youe back? Because I knew when we slept unprotected. I know what I did, and if we got pregnant, I was ready to take that responsibility.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. I swallowed hard. For argument¡¯s sake, I wouldy out my point even if it seemed pointless now. ¡°I was about to tell you, but-¡± ¡°But what? What do you think I would do?¡± His question was always on point, making my attempts less effective and pathetic. I was losing the battle, and it hadn¡¯t gotten to the worst part. ¡°I¡¯m asking you, Estelle.¡± His voice raised and became harsher. Micah came. ¡°Is everything okay in there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Leave us, Micah, or should I me you too?¡± He didn¡¯t even look at Micah, but his voice alone made my poor assistant step back. ¡°Gabriel, she has nothing to do with it.¡± ¡°Leave.¡± He pointed a finger at poor Micah, and she couldn¡¯t do anything but do as he said. ¡°I know you¡¯re mad at me, but you can¡¯t mistreat her like that.¡± ¡°Define mad because I honestly don¡¯t know what I feel right now.¡± He drew a long deep breath and looked up. His jaw locked when he looked at me again, and I thought I froze and melted at the same time. He was furious, and I¡¯d never seen him like this. ¡°Six weeks.¡± ¡°Six fucking weeks? You¡¯ve been having my child for six fucking weeks, and you never nned on telling me?¡± He raised his finger, eyes cold. ¡°Wait. Are you about to get engaged to the piece of shit and marry him while you are having a child? What the fuck, Estelle?¡± His voice startled me, dripping with utter devastation. ¡°Will you stop raising your voice and cursing me?¡± ¡°So now it bothers you, huh? You will- that fucker-¡± His anger had seemed to make him lost in his words. A sharp pound on the door interrupted us, giving me a little time to breathe and think of the next words I would say because, right now, nothing was going to calm him down. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Qamar walked in. ¡°Get the fuck out,¡± Linden just ordered Qamar. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Qamar still asked me, despite his boss ordering him to get out. ¡°I said get out, Tarique. This is between me and the mother of my child.¡± The word mothering from him gave a little shiver down my spine. I almost shuddered. ¡°Congrattions. I¡¯ll be right outside if you need me, Ms. dwyn.¡± Wait, Qamar didn¡¯t know? I thought he did, but his reaction said it all. Or he was probably faking it before his boss. Once Qamar was gone, Linden began pacing, making me more anxious and terrified. ¡°Fuck,¡± a single curse word should piss me off, but it was a word of god. I shut up. Fuck!¡± A loud thud followed. The rattling of the closet door startled me, making me yelp. ¡°Fuck!¡± He did it again until the broken mirror scattered on the floor. I stayed where I was, froze in my ce. Even if I wanted to move, I couldn¡¯t. I knew he was not violent. I knew he would never harm me, and my child- our child, but I made him this mad. He smacked his forehead against the attached broken ss. I was scared that he might hurt himself. ¡°Do you know how it makes me feel knowing he¡¯s gonna touch you? I would never forgive myself if heid a hand and raised my child,¡± he said with a heavy sigh. I ignored the burn of pain and fury inside my chest. He had the right to be mad, and there was nothing I could say that calmed him. I just wished I could have told him before he found out from someone- from whom? ¡°If I had not done anything, you¡¯re probably with him right now, and what do you think he would do to you if he found out you¡¯re having a child with another man, Estelle? Because right now, I don¡¯t feel anything than wanting to crush his windpipe and every one of those who put you in that situation.¡± ¡°Gabriel, will you please, calm down? You¡¯re scaring me.¡± My attempt failed. He still hadn¡¯t faced me when he said something that crushed my heart. ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear it. I couldn¡¯t bear watching you with him. And you almost let that happen because you won¡¯t sacrifice Star for me, for us. Jesus Christ, Estelle. That¡¯s our child. We made that together, and you are just gonna take her away from me to be with that disgusting piece of shit?¡± ¡°Do you think it was easy for me to find out I was pregnant while I was about to lose everything I worked hard for and be with that jerk? I¡¯d thought about it but never considered it, even for a second. I was losing my mind, and I never thought of giving it up because this is part of me. This child is my-¡± His head snapped, eyes narrowed at me, burning holes into my head. ¡°And mine, Estelle. Do you know how I feel finding out you¡¯re having my child from a convict?¡± ¡°Never a day went by. I didn¡¯t think about telling you.¡± My tears fell. My voice cracked. ¡°About how I should bring it up and tell you I¡¯m pregnant, but you have a lot going on. I was in the middle of losing my life¡¯s work. I may have a n if things won¡¯t work if I have to give up mypany. At least my child has a future. I asked mywyer for TOF to your name.¡± If things didn¡¯t go well, I still had the signed documents in my safe. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not capable of raising my own? I will give up everything for our child, Estelle. No question asks. Hell, if I was given no choice, I would give up everything for you, but you can¡¯t do it for me, can you? Because you have doubted my intention from the very beginning, and I can¡¯t ever gain your trust back. You thought all rtionships and marriages would end up like your parents. Look at mine. A single father raised me, but I still believe you. I still believe you get something back when you work for it and never give up on it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re maybe right. I am scared of failing. I am scared of losing the people I care about.¡± ¡°Without even trying?¡± ¡°What do you think I am doing?¡± Now I was the one pissed off. ¡°Do you think you are the one making sacrifices to make this rtionship work? I lost my father¡¯s trust. I almost lost my job because I chose to be with you.¡± ¡°No! You didn¡¯t lose his trust because he never trusted you in the first ce. He sold you out. He wanted Star for himself, Estelle. Why do you think Moses and I did our best to help you? Because those greedy are not good for you. Yeah, I made a lot of mistakes, but I never gave up on the people who mean to me, and I will never give up on the things I believe are right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± All I could do was gulp. ¡°I don¡¯t need your apology. What I want to know is, what are you scared about?¡± ¡°Since from the start, you made your point of wanting to settle down and have kids. I wasn¡¯t ready, and I don¡¯t think I am. That¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°So you think you can run away with it? Even the hell freezes over, you¡¯re going nowhere. Mark my word, woman.¡± ¡°What are you going to do, huh?¡± I ced my hands on my hips. My shirt broke free. His gaze fell on my abdomen, and I had to look away when those eyes dripped with so much pain and regret. ¡°From now on, you stay in my house. You go to work ande back home unless you have an appointment-¡± My stomach rolled. ¡°I¡¯m not doing that.¡± He red at me. ¡°You¡¯re in no position to make any demands. This is not a negotiation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re keeping me hostage?¡± I red back, challenging him even if I knew I was losing this fight. ¡°Call it whatever you want. And get ready because I am not having my kid out of wedlock.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not serious!¡± ¡°I. AM. FUCKING. SERIOUS.¡± His words stiffened my back and widened my eyes further. My argument would be useless, but I wasn¡¯t giving him the opportunity to win without a fight. The amount of anger in my chest made me want to burst into me. ¡°What if I don¡¯t wanna marry you?¡± ¡°Do you think you have a choice?¡± When I couldn¡¯t answer, he turned around, went out, and mmed the door, startling me. That was it. He just left. ¡°Asshole!¡± When the door pushed open, I froze. His face peeked in, ¡°Try not to get used to saying that word. Every bad word you say to me, you will pay for it.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a man.¡± ¡°Wow. You suddenly turn into this anti-feminist sick asshole, huh?¡± When he prowled back, like a predator stalking his prey, I stepped back, but I already reached the wall, and I had nowhere to go when he caged me in his arms. ¡°Let me get this straight, Estelle.¡± His breath fanning my face as he leaned in so close our noses almost touched. ¡°Since you don¡¯t believe in a longsting rtionship, I will give it to you because this is what you want, right? I will marry you for my child, and they will take my name. Once you give birth, do you want a divorce? File right away. I don¡¯t give a shit. But I will provide child support, everything they need, and expect me to be around in every first thing my child will do. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t take my child away from you because I know what it feels like growing up without a mother. If you want to remarry, up to you, but I will make sure he will pass the criteria of being a good stepfather because if I find out he lies a hand on my child, I will cut his finger one by one until I¡¯m satisfied.¡± Chapter 50 LINDEN ¡°Wow. You¡¯re gonna be a father?¡± Wi hugged me so tight. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to be an aunt. And dang, you and Estelle will have cute mini Estelle and Gabe.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± My word- a single lifeless word came out of my mouth since I left Estelle, and it didn¡¯t miss from everyone¡¯s kin ears. ¡°Why so glum, Gabriel Rembrandt?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, son?¡± Moses asked. I looked at Moses. ¡°You seem not surprised?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known it in a while now.¡± My eyes narrowed. ¡°And you did not tell me? Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my secret to tell. And I warned you. Haven¡¯t I told you to stop moping and do something before you regret it? And I even told you your life would drastically change, but having a child didn¡¯te to your mind.¡± ¡°You two had a fight,¡± Quinn said. I called him out from his team because I needed him when I met who had Jasper. ¡°Yeah. I was furious. She was about to marry that piece of-¡± I still had that shiver every time I remembered Weston. It sickened me. ¡°While she has my child.¡± The words of my child were music to my ear, and my heart skipped a bit, knowing I was going to be a father in a few months until I fucked up big time. ¡°I¡¯ve known Estelle for years. She hated that dick- one of many reasons she ran away. She would rather lose Star and be poor than sacrifice herself or your child. Trust me. She always finds a way to do the right thing. She could be selfless for the better, but she could be selfish for the right thing.¡± ¡°yton Weston is a manwhore who thinks he rules the world. He has big dreams but waits until it falls on hisp. He¡¯s not a good man for Estelle.¡± Kye patted my shoulder. ¡°You, on the other hand, may not be perfect, but you will be a good father. Estelle needs you now, brother. She can¡¯t keep that up. She¡¯s strong and can withstand strong emotions but still needs a baby daddy. Whatever happened in the past, let it be in the past. Let it be a lesson for both of you that keeping secrets can ruin a rtionship. And I know you have a lot on your te right now. This Jasper case won¡¯t be over anytime soon. Be with her, man.¡± That was inspiring, even if I didn¡¯t know how to unscrew my life. ¡°What is your n, Gabe?¡± I looked at Wi and shrugged. ¡°I have no fucking idea.¡± Sax shook tough. ¡°So our wingman here has no clue now that the table has turned? You were there for them when Rome and Princess Charlotte were in trouble. So as for Cade and London. You had Cenric and Sadie¡¯s back all the time. You even helped Mykel and Adley. You always put what¡¯s broken back together and make it strong. Sleep it over, or get drunk. Tomorrow is a new day. You will gonna be a father, man. Be with Estelle.¡± ¡°I know it must have been painful finding out the truth from someone like Hanslo, and you found it toote, but think about Estelle¡¯s feelings. She must be shocked. And she was in the middle of chaos, losing her battle against two people she once trusted. She stood her ground and fought against her father and someone like Tyrion. She was vulnerable but went to battle, son. Give her a break. I¡¯m sure she was nning on telling you, and she wants to stay and be with you because she wasn¡¯t running away after getting herpany back and finding out she had your child.¡± I managed to nod slightly at Moses. ¡°You really didn¡¯t notice anything?¡± Sax asked. ¡°Like what, dickhead?¡± Kye elbowed him. ¡°I was just asking because pregnant gets the tummy big, and the period stops.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I shrugged again, still in absolute despair after fucking things up with Estelle. ¡°I just didn¡¯t think she would keep secrets from me, I guess, especially when ites to bigger than the both of us kind of secret. I trusted her, that¡¯s all. I felt she was hiding something from me, but not about our child.¡± I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. ¡°I guess I was just hurt that it¡¯s been weeks, and if she could keep-¡± ¡°Whoa. Whoa. You and she have a lot of things to learn from each other, trials to face, but don¡¯t go there,¡± Sax said. ¡°One thing that is clear to me is she doesn¡¯t want to get married. She¡¯s scared of history repeating itself. Look at me.¡± I gazed at Sax. ¡°I grew up without a mother figure. Her parents cannot stand with each other. And now I feel like I¡¯m losing my shit, and I just said something to her that I don¡¯t think I could take it back.¡± ¡°Oh, boy,¡± Sax was the first to react before everyone sighed and sagged against the couch. On the other hand, Moses just looked at me more sympathetically than judgment. ¡°What did you say, Gabe?¡± Grunting, Wi asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Wi.¡± ¡°Oh, my God. Do you really think I would believe you with that look? Dad will be thrilled, though.¡± ¡°What did you say, Son?¡± I knew it would blow back in my face, but since they asked, then they would have it. ¡°I told her I¡¯m marrying her for the kid.¡± ¡°Oh, my God! You¡¯re so dead, Gabriel Rembrandt!¡± Wi was so pissed off she threw and emptied her drink into my face. ¡°You are dead to me if you won¡¯t take it back and apologize to your pregnant girlfriend. She¡¯s pregnant for crying out loud! She must be so hurt and alone, abandoned by her jerk baby daddy. You jerk. Dad raised you to be better than that, Gabe. You truly disappoint me, asshole.¡± ¡°Wi, calm down, honey. They say, strike while the iron is hot. He will see Estelle and apologize, and he will propose like normal people, or I will withdraw all my support.¡± I was losing my own argument as I turned to Moses, wiping the drink off my face. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. Now I¡¯m gonna be a father. I need all the support than ever.¡± ¡°Am I? Why do you think I threw you to Sicily? Do you think I wanted you to bring her home and let her be with that piece of garbage who thinks nothing but his junk? I¡¯m not a matchmaker, but I know you will be good together. Despite growing up with a terrible father, she¡¯s good with her mom and everyone, and she never stops reaching her dreams even though her father gave up on her before she even started. Does that ring any bell?¡± I just blew a breath because what he said was true. ¡°Your father is a good man and never gave up on both of you. You have faced losses, your ex cheated on you, and people turned you down on your dreams, but you never gave up. You have the same resilience as Estelle. And you never gave up on the people you love. I knew Estelle was ced in a tough situation and faced difficult decisions over thest few weeks, understand her reason. You may have this heroism that you are willing to give up for us but think about her after losing everything she worked hard for years, and she still has to think how to raise a child without a ground to stand on.¡± ¡°She has me.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t know that, man.¡± Sax red. ¡°You don¡¯t do rtionships.¡± ¡°I told her I didn¡¯t want to fool around anymore. From the start, she knew I wasn¡¯t looking for a fling,¡± I barked back. ¡°She¡¯s not ready to settle down. You can¡¯t just shove it on her.¡± Quinn had me shut up. I slumped back into the chair. ¡°Now, what is your n, big brother?¡± Wi was still furious. Now it was my turn to throw a fit. ¡°Why is it everyone thinks I¡¯m the bad guy here? She¡¯s the one who lied to me and kept our baby a secret from me for weeks. Should I just let it go?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± they replied in unison. ¡°Wow! You guys are dicks. You never consider my feelings.¡± ¡°You¡¯re old and will get over with it.¡± ¡°Fuck you, Ryder!¡± I red at Sax, who seemed happy than pissed. ¡°When is the wedding?¡± ¡°Next week,¡± Moses replied Quinn. ¡°It¡¯s my wedding. I will n for it, not you.¡± My eyes narrowed at Moses. I had no right to be mad at him, but he could have just told me that Estelle was pregnant, and it wouldn¡¯t havee down to this. ¡°You want after tomorrow?¡± I groaned in annoyance. ¡°I kind of tell her it¡¯s okay for me to get divorced after she gives birth.¡± ¡°Oh, God! I hate you right now, Gabriel! You better shut up, or I will pull your hair out of your scalp. You said nothing good tonight. God!¡± ¡°Calm down, or you will have an early heart attack. You can raise his kid, Wi.¡± ¡°Tell that to that asshole of a brother.¡± She shot back at Kye. When Moses went silent, I suddenly felt nervous. Then he got up and walked away. ¡°Where is he going?¡± Quinn asked. When Moses reached the door, he called my name. ¡°Get your ass up from that chair ande with me.¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± Sax said to mock me. I followed him. I didn¡¯t expect him to take me to his study. Once inside, he sighed, which frightened me even more. ¡°You don¡¯t wanna raise your kid out of wedlock. Then you should marry her sooner because I know you won¡¯t stop looking for Jasper.¡± I nodded. ¡°These people are dangerous, way more dangerous than Siciliano.¡± ¡°You know?¡± ¡°Hanslo didn¡¯t tell you the name, but I already knew.¡± ¡°He said about Yelena¡¯s rtives.¡± ¡°Have you heard about Nike Vasilyev?¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Because none would ever mention that name. Jasper is with Ilya, his firstborn. The man was groomed to rece his father. Nike is sick. If my data is correct, he has terminal cancer. Ilya wouldn¡¯t want someone to take over his seat if not his blood, but he¡¯s not married or has a kid. Do you know who would be the next in line?¡± ¡°Sadie?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why Jasper sacrifices his freedom for Sadie, and I don¡¯t think Cenric will allow that and Sadie will ever take over that position and be involved with criminals. Then we will all be in danger and die because this person will not just fire a gun. They have bigger ns just to get what they want.¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Get married. Meet Jasper to get closure.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give up on him.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°You¡¯re not, but you must find peace and cut him loose for all our sake. You¡¯re also prolonging his life, our lives, and everyone around you. You can¡¯t just think about saving Jasper anymore. I know what he means to you, but you¡¯re going to be a father. The right thing you can do is give them a safe ce to live. Try to be reasonable and selfish sometimes, son. No one will me you for doing that.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. What I want you to do is apologize to your pregnant girlfriend. Fiancee.¡± Chapter 51 ESTELLE ¡°I¡¯m not doing that. He can¡¯t control me.¡± I thought my anger was permanently settling in my chest. It had been almost two days, and I was still angry at Linden. ¡°He¡¯s not. That¡¯s his belief, and he¡¯s the baby daddy, Estelle.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be on my side? I¡¯m your daughter, Mom. You¡¯re supposed to be telling me to run when there¡¯s a sign of a red g. He¡¯s bad news.¡± Mom cocked a brow. ¡°Is he, though? Then why did you sleep and stay with him? Why did you let him get you pregnant if he¡¯s bad news? I don¡¯t see a red g either than being a responsible baby daddy. I think that¡¯s admirable because he didn¡¯t even tell you to remove the baby or me you for getting pregnant.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t me me. He¡¯s the one who didn¡¯t use condoms, and I was on a pill, but I might have missed a dose. I don¡¯t know.¡± I shrugged. When it was unusual for mother and daughter to talk about sex, but not with us. ¡°TMI, Estelle.¡± Mom just smiled as she sipped her coffee. I went out of the office to take a break because I couldn¡¯t just sit and work and pretend I wasn¡¯t hurting. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Why do you like him so much?¡± I asked her. I wanted to know the truth. ¡°He¡¯s a good man. You¡¯re lucky he asked you to marry him, but where is the ring?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t roll your eyes at me, youngdy.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a proposal. He just found out I was pregnant, punched my door closet, began yelling, and told- no, correction, gave me an ultimatum, and I hated it. I don¡¯t like people telling me what to do. What about what I want, Mom? What about my choices? See, now he¡¯s showing up his true color.¡± Mom pursed her lips as she shook her head. It was still my fault. I could see that all over her face. ¡°Wait. Did he call you?¡± ¡°He asked for my blessings.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t just- Oh, my God.¡± I became a little hysterical with my reaction, still ignoring the people inside the coffee shop looking in my direction. ¡°After he yelled into my face, he still hasn¡¯t even apologized. And I haven¡¯t seen him since yesterday. I may have to cancel the movers. No. I¡¯m canceling the movers because I¡¯m not moving in with him. It doesn¡¯t mean I am pregnant with his child that I also have to stay with him. I¡¯m my own person.¡± I pressed my lips into a thin line and crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°You need a lot of support, emotional, physical, and you need to make a decision together, Estelle. Marriage is another thing. Having a child is another. You should be thankful he¡¯s taking responsibility and not running away. Think of his feelings. You¡¯ve known you¡¯re pregnant for weeks and kept it to yourself. I know you are terrified, but so does he. He¡¯s afraid he¡¯s not going to be a good father and a husband, knowing he grew up without a mother, but so far, he¡¯s doing a great job.¡± ¡°We can co-parent. We don¡¯t have to get married,¡± still stubborn, I tried toy down my n to Mom, hoping it would work. ¡°Honey.¡± Mom held my hand. ¡°You will never be like me or your dad. You are your own person. When I was your age, I didn¡¯t have Star. I didn¡¯t have billions of money. I barely made ends meet because my parents only cared was me getting married to Gustav. One thing I was blessed with was you. You are better than both of us. Don¡¯t everpare or think you would end up like us.¡± I drew a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m afraid to fail as a woman, as a mom, as a wife. I can¡¯t do that to my child or Gabriel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you have each other. We didn¡¯t have that kind of rtionship. And there¡¯s nothing wrong with failure. When you stumble, learn from it, stand up, and make a good choice. Do you understand me? You took risks. You take risks in business, then be brave in your rtionship.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mom.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to be afraid. Honey, do you have doubts?¡± ¡°Doubts that he will abandon us? No. Doubts that he cares for me? No. My doubts are my decisions. My doubt is for myself.¡± ¡°Then take a leap.¡± *** Two dayster, I hadn¡¯t heard anything from Linden. He was giving me a cold shoulder for keeping my pregnancy to myself. I didn¡¯t n on getting knocked up, but here I was because of what I did- I was taking responsibility. And I loved my child even if I hadn¡¯t held her because this kid was mine, my flesh and blood. ¡°Breathe. It¡¯s going to be okay.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Micah. Why is every time Ie to my appointment I feel nervous? I know my baby is healthy, but I¡¯m still scared and excited to see her again.¡± ¡°Her?¡± ¡°I feel it¡¯s her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been pregnant, but I think it¡¯s normal, especially for a first-time parent.¡± At least she never left, even if it wasn¡¯t a part of her job anymore- Micah was constant in my life. ¡°Estelle, Dr. Chesca is ready to see you now.¡± I got up from the chair. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you, nurse. I¡¯ming with her too. The baby daddy.¡± His enthusiastic voice seemed like he just arrived and catching his breath. I froze in my ce.What the hell is he doing here?How did he know my appointment? I looked at Micah, and she just gave me a shrug. ¡°Very well then.¡± The nurse opened the door, giving us the way. ¡°Good to see you again, Estelle. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. I think I gained a few pounds.¡± ¡°Maybe a little, but you should eat more,¡± Linden answered, making my doctor smile. ¡°So you¡¯re the baby daddy?¡± ¡°Gabe Linden, ma¡¯am. We¡¯ve met. The guy with a heartache.¡± He offered his hand for a handshake. ¡°Yeah. I remember, but I think I know you from somewhere.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Adley¡¯s doctor. Adley Kross-Creed. I think London¡¯s too.¡± ¡°Yes. I am.¡± ¡°They are my friends.¡± ¡°So, are you ready to see your baby?¡± ¡°I¡¯m dying too. I could have been there for them, but the mother kept the amazing news from me.¡± I shut my mouth as Iy in bed. Doctor Chesca couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Well, it¡¯s never been toote, and you still have time to make it up for them, and hopefully, you will stick around.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sticking around. I¡¯m up for the long haul,¡± he replied with confidence. ¡°Great.¡± ¡°Is that?¡± ¡°Easy, daddy.¡± Dr. Chesca chuckled while I red at him all the time as the good doctor tried to get a good angle. Then the heartbeat became so audibly clear it made my heart melt when I heard it. ¡°My child¡¯s heartbeat,¡± Linden said. His voice was the softest I¡¯d ever heard from him. His gaze was glued to the screen. ¡°And that is your child in twelve weeks. In your next appointment, Estelle, we¡¯ll find out the sex of your baby.¡± ¡°Can we not reveal it?¡± ¡°Yeah. I agree,¡± of course, he did. ¡°Of course,¡± the doctor said. ¡°How is the baby, doctor?¡± Linden asked, and the doctor was done with the ultrasound, and the nurse cleaned up the gel. I wasn¡¯t expecting him to help me, but he did. He cleaned up my tummy and helped me get up.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°The baby is healthy. So far, so good. Now that you both are here, we can talk- wait, are you two together?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Linden answered quickly. ¡°No.¡± The doctor paused as she looked at me and Linden. ¡°We are, doctor. She¡¯s just angry at me. I was pissed off because she kept our pregnancy from me for weeks, and she was-¡± ¡°Just shut up,¡± I told him. ¡°See?¡± ¡°Okay. It¡¯s none of my business, but if you two are not ready to discuss thebor ns, then we can talk about it again when you, especially Estelle, are really to choose.¡± ¡°I would like to be involved. She¡¯s my girlfriend- fiancee.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say yes,¡± I countered him. ¡°Not yet, but you¡¯re marrying me.¡± Doctor Chesca remained silent in her chair, her hands on her desk as she watched us banter like kids. ¡°Cocky much?¡± ¡°Okay, guys. I have patients waiting. You two can talk about it when you¡¯re at home. Do you still take your vitamins, Estelle?¡± ¡°Yes, doctor.¡± ¡°Wait. You don¡¯t have that nausea in the morning?¡± Wow. Now he was concerned about my well-being when he was gone for three days? How I wanted to punch him, I already fisted my hand. I looked at the hand he used to hit my closet. I saw bruises on the knuckles, but he never seemed sorry for what he did. ¡°You mean morning sickness,¡± Dr. Chesca corrected him. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s great. Our baby is already helping you.¡± I was supposed to go with Qamar waiting for me at the parking lot, but I couldn¡¯t find him or the car near where hest parked it. ¡°Where did he go?¡± ¡°You¡¯reing home with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going with you.¡± ¡°This is not up for a negotiation, Estelle.¡± When he was so sweet earlier, like a little puppy, he was now back to being a mad bull. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand when I say-¡± ¡°Get in the car, Estelle.¡± He cut in. ¡°Or I will stuff you in instead.¡± ¡°How long do you think you can keep me, Linden?¡± I met his gaze, challenging him. His eyes narrowed a little when I called him Linden. Now I knew one thing how to piss him off. ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± ¡°God, I hate you.¡± I got in the car because it was hot outside and I didn¡¯t want to draw attention. Nowadays, everything is documented on video and posted online. ¡°Don¡¯t say that again.¡± ¡°Make me, and I will say what I want to say. You can¡¯t stop me, you dick.¡± ¡°Just calm down, Estelle. That¡¯s not good for our baby.¡± ¡°Will you just shut up!¡± Suddenly, I felt like my chest was going to burst. I just wanted to cry it out. I wanted to cry rivers when he left my room that day, but it didn¡¯t happen. I was hurt so much for leaving me when I needed him the most, for breaking that promise that he wouldn¡¯t leave me. ¡°You have the audacity to get mad at me.¡± ¡°I get it. You¡¯re still mad at me for not telling you. Well, let me tell you this. I¡¯d rather die than be with that jerk. Do you think it was easy for me? None of this was easy, keeping it from you, bncing my life, my pregnancy, my work, adjusting to your life, dealing with your controlling dick attitude, and you know what the worse part is? It turns out you are just like him, a jerk.¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± He growled, eyes filled with intense fire. ¡°How many times do you want me to apologize?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your apology.¡± His voice softened. ¡°Then what do you want from me, Linden?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just go home.¡± Chapter 52 LINDEN I talked over the phone for hours with Deirdre, Estelle¡¯s mother. From Estelle¡¯s childhood to her failed marriage, her sacrifices, about Star LLC, to my rtionship with her daughter and pregnancy. I was enlightened. Deirdre was filled with wisdom. She admitted to failing in a lot of things and her sess, but she kept her feet on the ground. When I mentioned marrying her daughter, she cried. She was happy and excited to be a grandmother, too. That was days ago. I¡¯d said something I wasn¡¯t proud of. I¡¯d done something I regretted. When I made mistakes, I made amends for them. Estelle, on the other hand, was strong-willed and stubborn. I didn¡¯t visit her, and because she was stubborn, she did the same. I didn¡¯t check on her. She stayed in her house. I chose not to call her, and she gave me the cold shoulder. Right now, she hadn¡¯t said a word until we pulled up in front of the house. She stood on her ground. Despite our misunderstanding, I was thrilled that our baby was perfectly healthy and Estelle didn¡¯t experience difficulties in her first stage of pregnancy. ¡°The movers have brought some of your things here.¡± ¡°Without my knowledge?¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? Hasn¡¯t Micah told you about it? Becausest I talked to her, she said she already arranged movers for your things.¡± She didn¡¯t reply but was boiling inside, grunting like a mad dog. ¡°You should control your temper. That¡¯s not good for the baby.¡± ¡°Now you talk. You shouldn¡¯t have pissed me off.¡± ¡°I want what¡¯s best for our child, Estelle.¡± ¡°What about the mother?¡± She stopped in the hallway as she red at me. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s best for me? I bet you don¡¯t. All you want is to control me. I just got away from a controlling father, and now my child¡¯s father is as controlling as shit.¡± I blew a breath. I couldn¡¯t argue when we both knew how this would end. I opened the door to our room. ¡°I wanna stay in the other room.¡± ¡°No. You stay in my room so that I can look after you. You might need something or feel something in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°When most nights you¡¯re not even in bed? That¡¯s delightful. My life just leveled up from bad to worse.¡± I closed my eyes for a brief moment before I turned to her. ¡°I¡¯m not perfect. Sometimes, I forget I¡¯m in a rtionship. Hell, sometimes I even forget myself, my lunch, but one thing I can promise you is I won¡¯t let my child down. Hate me, punch me, hit me, but you can¡¯t take that responsibility away from me because even if the world ends tomorrow, I won¡¯t be like my mother. I won¡¯t abandon my child.¡± I went to open the walk-in closet. I was not the type of person who collected clothes with color-coordinated suits. I was a simple man before I began the Firm, and I was still the same even with the sess of Osmium. ¡°You have half of the closets. You can take another half of mine if you need more space.¡± She noticed the renovations. Thest time she was here, I only had wall size mirror. Now she had a vanity mirror and a bathroom on her own. ¡°The room to your right is your bathroom. I chose slip-resistant flooring. And I thought you wanted privacy. If you need anything, just let me know.¡± I watched her as she went to check the closet and drawers one by one, but she hadn¡¯t said a thing. She checked what was behind the door, and I thought I saw her face light up. Just like her mother said, Estelle liked pastels and pink and flowers. Then that was what she got. I thought a royal bathroom design would suit her personality because, for me, she was my queen. And the mother of my child, who never blinked an eye at thinking of removing her pregnancy, deserved pampering even if I was still pissed off with the way I learned about our baby. She didn¡¯t have to hear that I would give her the world. I would just do it for her. ¡°Come with me.¡± She didn¡¯t hesitate. We crossed our bedroom. I wanted to surprise her with the room that she asked for. My heart melted. Pride spread in my chest now that I knew why she wanted an adjacent room. The clues had always been there all this time. I was just dumb not to put two and two together. ¡°You stopped drinking wine. You changed your coffee to decaf. You craved for ice cream. You enjoyed cuddling. You wanted a room next to ours. You¡¯ve been showing me signs, but I was just stupid. I didn¡¯t figure that out too soon.¡± I opened the door to the adjacent room. ¡°When you told me you were on a pill, I didn¡¯t protect myself because I trusted you, and you trusted me. I want to let you know that I¡¯m ming you.¡± A gasp slipped through her mouth. Her blue eyes widened and danced with joy and amazement despite nothing to be seen except in white walls. ¡°The paint is zero VOC.¡± She went ahead to the room, a little more excited than what she saw in the closet and her bathroom. Leaning against the doorjamb, I watched her from the door as she propped her hands on her waist. If I were to read her action, she just came up with great ns. ¡°I thought I would let you decide for this room. The color, the furniture, the themes, or the design. If you know an interior designer, just let me know, or I can suggest K & B. Adley¡¯s friend, ze, runs it, but you can do as you like.¡± ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s very thoughtful.¡± Well, that was the nicest thing I heard from her for days. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°The closet and the bathroom, you didn¡¯t have to do that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re making good use of plenty of rooms and space in the house. And I want you to feelfortable because this is your house too.¡± Thankfully, she loosened up a bit during dinner and ate what I cooked, but she still held her words and answered me with no longer than two sentences as if there was a swear jar for that. I left her to herself when she asked if she could soak in the bathtub. I went to the boys in the back. ¡°Did you tell her?¡± Quinn met me beside the pool. I inhaled deeply and shook my head. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell her the day we leave, man. That¡¯s not a good idea.¡± ¡°I know. You guys are okay here?¡± I looked at the guys chatting at the poolside. ¡°We¡¯re good, man. Better than you.¡± It was Lynx. ¡°Good luck with Ms. B.¡± ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± I went back to the room. Tonight I needed to rest. I have a lot of work to do starting tomorrow. When I couldn¡¯t find her in the room, I went to her bathroom. ¡°Estelle, are you there?¡± I heard her answer before I pushed the door open. ¡°So literally, I still don¡¯t have my privacy?¡± ¡°I thought when you answered, that means I cane in.¡± I was already walking towards her in the bathtub filled with bubbles. ¡°I like the design. Thanks.¡± ¡°Remind me to send flowers to your mom.¡± She looked at me incredulously. ¡°You talked to Mom?¡± ¡°Yeah. Days ago, when we had a fight.¡± ¡°Great. Did you tell her I was a bitch?¡± ¡°Why would I? We talked about your childhood and stuff.¡± ¡°Payback, I see.¡± ¡°No. We talked about how you started your business and her failed marriage. We talked about us, and I asked for her blessings.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that because your ns for my life are already in motion. So I don¡¯t have a say in all of this.¡± She gestured her hands exaggeratedly, causing her tits to show up from the bubble.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°You have a say in everything, Estelle. That¡¯s your right. I¡¯m not taking it away from you. We treat each other fairly as husband and wife. Just don¡¯t keep things from me again, and don¡¯t lie. You like to tell me half of a story, and I can¡¯t fill the half.¡± ¡°So why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to bed early.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a first.¡± ¡°You should too. We have a big day tomorrow.¡± I went to the door. ¡°What about it?¡± I stopped and turned around. ¡°We¡¯re filing our marriage license.¡± ¡°Great.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°What if-¡± ¡°No, Estelle. We¡¯re getting married.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll drown myself then.¡± She just dipped her head into the water. She didn¡¯t even think twice. I was quick to sprint and pulled her head out of the water. ¡°What the fuck, Estelle?¡± I wiped off her hair out of her face. ¡°Are you really choosing quick death over marrying me?¡± To my shock, she wasn¡¯t even bothered. In fact, she was grinning and making fun of my reaction. ¡°You think it¡¯s funny? You¡¯re pregnant for fuck-¡± I winced in pain as her fist hit my nose. It wasn¡¯t strong enough to break a bone, but she caught me off guard. ¡°Did you just-¡± ¡°You told me I could hit you, and I¡¯ve been dying to punch you for days.¡± My nose red. She was acting like a child. What did I get myself into? I said nothing as I helped her stand in the tub and take the spray. ¡°Enough of soaking for tonight.¡± I tried not to get tempted or think of how gorgeous she was standing naked next to me as I sprayed the soap off her body. She had soft and smooth skin, and the pregnancy glow was good on her. Swallowing hard, I ced my palm on her little baby bump, which I didn¡¯t even notice had been there, even though how many times she was naked before me. I didn¡¯t know she¡¯d been watching me until I lifted my chin. Chapter 53 ESTELLE Two days ago, we went to apply for our marriage license, and I still felt like he was a stranger to me. I kept reminding myself that what I was doing was for my child¡¯s sake, for their future. That was what kept me going and stayed sane. I slept peacefully next to Linden despite the strain in our rtionship was still there because I knew he would never put me in any harm¡¯s way. And it was not about carrying his child, but one thing I was sure of, he would protect me with his life. That was his nature. That was who he was. He was awesome in many ways. I woke upte than usual since I would only be reporting to the office in the afternoon today. Linden wasn¡¯t in bed anymore. My first guess, he was in the gym or making breakfast. It was a beautiful day. The curtain was drawn to the side. I could see the bright sun streaking from the window-beautiful fresh flowers on the vase, which was new. I still didn¡¯t have the morning sickness, which was great. As I stretched out, something caught my eye that shocked me. My hand was on my mouth to stifle my gasp. My eyes went wide. I raised my other hand. It was really there. I wasn¡¯t dreaming. I took a closer look at the engagement ring on my finger. For me, it was a little bit unfair. I still dreamed of a proper proposal where a man on bended knee asked me to marry him. Call me old-fashioned, but it was romantic. Then I heard popping or some sort of fireworks. Curiosity got the best of me. I got up and opened the window. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I was already shocked but was beyond bbergasted to see the clear sky with an aerobatic smoke disy ofMarry Me. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Okay, I took it back. This was the most romantic proposal I¡¯d ever seen. Wait.Is that for me, though? Then I heard apuse from the backyard where his men, our family, and friends stood around the tables. Then my man in a simple shirt and jeans with flowers gestured for me toe down.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°I haven¡¯t said yes!¡± I yelled down and showed them the ring and shrugged. ¡°But look?¡± Everyone justughed, even my mom. The only person missing was my father. ¡°Juste down,¡± Linden said. ¡°Just give me a minute.¡± I rushed to the bathroom to pee, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. It was the quickest I¡¯d ever done. Then I just put my bra on. I was still in my pajama and slippers, but who cared? My pacing turned slow as I walked to my family and friends as if they were waiting for me to say something. My eyes began to sting. My heart was about to burst out of my chest. ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± There was so much excitement when I looked at my mom, and I couldn¡¯t disappoint her. ¡°Fine. Yes!¡± One moment Linden was in front of me, and the next thing was lifting me and kissing me. I yelped to the popping of Champagne behind us. ¡°Congrattions. Wee to the family, honey.¡± It was Jaymes with open arms. ¡°Thank you.¡± I hugged him as I felt I had lost control of my emotions. I was happy, excited, and scared at the same time. Then Wi came next. Everyone came to congratte us, including Quinn and thest person was Moses. ¡°You deserve all the happiness in the world, Estelle. And I have no doubt you will be a good mother and wife. You will have the longest patience, the sturdiest determination, and the deepest love for your husband and kids. It¡¯s okay to be afraid and to fail. That even makes us stronger. Congrattions on your engagement and the baby.¡± Linden gave me a flute of orange juice while everyone was having Champagne. Great. He wrapped his arm around my waist as he was about to say something. ¡°I never thought I would be this happy. It wasn¡¯t an easy journey for both of us. Estelle still hates my gut but knows how much she means to me. Being around you guys is my core strength. I wouldn¡¯t be here without you. I hope you will be there for us for the next chapter of our lives as husband and wife and parents to our child. Thank you for everything.¡± ¡°To our power couple.¡± Jaymes raised the ss. I raised my ss and drank the juice. Then we settled to our table for breakfast. ¡°One hell of a show-off, brother.¡± Striker came to hug Linden. ¡°Do you know how long it took me to get that permit?¡± ¡°She¡¯s worth it.¡± I pretended I didn¡¯t hear that. Then Beck, Cenric, and Mykel congratted us. Then the backyard became suddenly went silent, but all eyes were on our backs. I followed their gazes. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Linden wentughing as he stood up to meet his guests. ¡°What the fuck?¡± He hugged the man the same height. I rose to my feet and recognized him through the picture in Linden¡¯s old house. ¡°Do you think you can get married without me? Congrattions, brother. I never doubted you would fall in love one day, get married, and bear a lot of kids.¡± ¡°Thank you, brother, and you fly all the way from Winterbourne to congratte me?¡± ¡°Nah. I was just in the neighborhood.¡± The entirepound was filled withughter. ¡°Well, two more to go.¡±Two more to go?The woman beside Rome Langston had a very thick British ent. That must be the princess. Holy shit! She kissed Linden on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯m happy you found the one.¡± Her eyes found mine. I had no choice but to go to them. They were our guests- the royal guests. Wow. I would pinch myselfter. ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡± I was about to curtsy, but she stopped me. We kissed cheek to cheek. ¡°On behalf of my family, congrattions to both of you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but giggle as I looked at her in her prime dress while I was wearing pajamas. ¡°So he knocked you up, huh?¡± Rome¡¯s smile was contagious. ¡°Long story short, yeah.¡± I nodded delightfully. ¡°I didn¡¯t know he had that in him.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had that in me either. I mean, ever heard of protection?¡± Rome and Princess Carlottughed with me. ¡°Wee to the family, Estelle.¡± *** Apparently, Linden couldn¡¯t wait for another day. And my mom was the best nner. She didn¡¯t want me to stress out. She did everything by herself, of course, with the amazing women in the family. Even pregnant London helped. Considering these guys¡¯ power and wealth, everything was possible with just a snap of their fingers. And I didn¡¯t want to get married with a huge baby bump, so Linden got my approval. ¡°You look- oh, my God.¡± Mom looked up to stop herself from crying. ¡°You¡¯re the most beautiful bride I¡¯d ever seen.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± I kept my emotions at bay, or I would cry a river and ruin my makeup. I looked at myself in a breathtaking ethereal mermaid white dress. I held her hands. ¡°I think I didn¡¯t thank you enough for what you¡¯ve sacrificed for me-¡± ¡°No drama. And every mother would do the same for their children. You will understand what I did now that you¡¯re about to be one. You don¡¯t need to thank me. You don¡¯t owe me anything.¡± I took a deep breath as I smiled. ¡°I love you, Mom.¡± ¡°I love you, too.¡± Who would be the right person to walk me down the aisle? It wasn¡¯t traditional, but I couldn¡¯t think of anyone other than my mother. The venue was the same backyard we celebrated our engagement yesterday. Only today, the small ceremony was filled with white, light pink, and beige flowers, and everyone wore suits and dresses. Linden looked dazzlingly handsome in his dark blue tux. ¡°By the power vested in me, by the city of New York, Gabriel, and Estelle, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.¡± Our kiss was soft and quick, but the moment our lips locked, I knew I didn¡¯t have regrets about marrying him despite our rocky start. We had a lot to learn from each other. We would have a lot of challenges facing along the way. As long as we were together, we could get through that obstacles. We would reach the finish line for our kid and our family. The tented reception with a pulled-back white curtain and elegant foliage ented with flowers and candles was beyond my expectations. It didn¡¯t matter where we got married, at the beach, in the church, in the snow, or how we rushed it, as long as I would get married to the same groom. We had our first dance as husband and wife. Linden was back to the man I first met and the man I fell in love. He had the sparks back in his eyes and a dazzling smile on his lips. Whether this was just for our wedding day, I would take it. At least I had a beautiful story to tell my child that their father was handsome that day. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I was suddenly snapped out of my little dream by his worried voice. ¡°What?¡± My voice came out cracked, and that was how I understood his question as he used his thumb to wipe a single tear rolling down my cheek. Iposed myself and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect my wedding would be rushed yet perfect. Thank you.¡± ¡°Are you happy?¡± ¡°With the wedding? Of course.¡± ¡°No. Are you happy that we are married?¡± ¡°Ask me again tomorrow when reality hits me.¡± ¡°Estelle.¡± The softness and vulnerability in his tone stabbed me in my chest. This man had proven things I never imagined a man would do for me, and it wasn¡¯t to impress me. Every simple thing he did, was to make me happy, to put a smile on my face. Who was I to deny that? We had said terrible things. He hurt me with his words, but he had proven his loyalty over and over again. ¡°I am.¡± Chapter 54 LINDENN?velDrama.Org ? content. We arrived in Sardinia this morning. It was a long flight, but I knew we both wanted to get away from work and hassles for a while, even if this trip was not only for our honeymoon, but she didn¡¯t have to know right now. She was exhausted, but the doctor permitted her to travel even long flights. We had the best vi with the best view of the ocean. The beach and ocean always reminded me of how we met. It always yed a significant impact on our rtionship. We went strolling to the private beach, and thanks to Moses¡¯ connection, we had all to ourselves. I spread the nket instead of the lounger. Without a word, she dropped her bag andy on her tummy. ¡°Baby-¡± ¡°What?¡± She snapped, raised her head, and met my gaze. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay to lie on your tummy?¡± ¡°She¡¯s protected with hundreds of milliliters of amniotic fluid inside my uterus and tummy. She¡¯s floating, actually, so she¡¯s well protected, husband.¡± She red before shey back. ¡°Okay.¡± I blew a breath before I sat next to her. ¡°What pissed you off today?¡± ¡°Just rub the damn thing on my back.¡± ¡°Tell me, Estelle. I can read bodynguage but not mind. What¡¯s going on?¡± I stopped. ¡°Wait. Did you say she?¡± ¡°Well, I supposed it¡¯s a she, but how would I know?¡± I grabbed the sunscreen from her bag and squeezed a good amount before I rubbed my hands and applied it on her back. ¡°Remember when we went boat riding?¡± ¡°Yeah. Why?¡± ¡°I never had fun in a long time, and you were just gorgeous, but having a constant hard-on and you in yellow swimsuits didn¡¯t just help my case.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still in yellow swimsuits, but with a growing belly, and soon will have stretchmarks all over my tummy, my thighs, my ass, and my boobs. Not beautiful anymore.¡± I let go of a shaky sigh. I paid attention to her shoulders. ¡°You will always be beautiful even with imperfections. You will always be beautiful with the marks of your sacrifices of bearing our child. I will never disregard that.¡± ¡°You just said that because you badly wanted a wife and a child.¡± I chuckled. ¡°That might be true, but I also want you. That¡¯s the fact. Now that we¡¯re going to have a baby, I want you more. I need you more.¡± ¡°For a year, yeah. That¡¯s absolute desperation.¡± I blow a breath, ignoring the pain in my chest. I knew what she meant. She was throwing back what I said. She didn¡¯t know how desperate I wanted to take those words back, but it was stuck in her head, which was what had been bothering her. I hurt her and didn¡¯t know how to mend that pain. I made her happy once but fucked it up twice. Once I was done with the sunscreen, I tucked the loose strands behind her hair as I felt a lot of emotions altogether, and they messed up my head. Those emotions were new to me, and I didn¡¯t know what to do with them. I leaned down to kiss the top of my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to say those words. I¡¯d never been so reckless with my words, but my emotions and the thought of you and our child in the hand of another man, I couldn¡¯t take it. All I could think was how he would mistreat you and our baby. I¡¯d never been possessive, controlling, or out of control, but that day, I went ballistic. I¡¯m taking those words back.¡± ¡°Which one? You said a lot of things, Gabriel.¡± ¡°I know, baby. And I said those words, so those words that hurt you ended up hurting me. I hope one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just take advantage and enjoy the ce.¡± She got up, held my knees, and spread them apart so that she could settle between my legs. ¡°That¡¯s the best idea.¡± I delightedly weed her, wrapped my arms around her, and kissed her shoulder. I looked at the guys, hoping they got my message. I took Quinn, Lynx, and Qamar, while Sax and Kye came because they wanted to have fun than work. Estelle grabbed her phone, and I knew what was next toe. ¡°Why do you need your phone?¡± ¡°Memories, Gabriel Rembrandt.¡± My chest rumbled as I tried not tough hard. ¡°If you say so.¡± I looked at my ring and her wedding band. I made the best choice. The pear-cut engagement ring I chose didn¡¯t have a big stone, but I ordered it from Africa because, apparently, the natural earth-mined pink diamond was rare. Her eternity band had pink diamond pieces too. ¡°I love it if you are looking for apliment.¡± I smiled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡± She showed me the picture she just took and captured it while I looked at her finger. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything. I thought because it¡¯s not five-carat, it wasn¡¯t a statement for a billionaire wife.¡± ¡°Jeez. You can give me a stic ring, and I will dly take it. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s worth one dor as long as ites from you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so pretty, actually.¡± She raised her hand, and the ring sparkled in the sun. ¡°I take it back. It¡¯s spectacr.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± When she turned to me, I leaned in and kissed her. She kissed me back. For the first time since we married, all those worries and eternal heartaches disappeared. I felt this kiss before. It was gratitude, contentment, happiness, and devotion. *** I joined her in the shower behind her, and she instantly felt my presence. ¡°For the mother earth.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re gonna save water.¡± She took my hands and ced them on her breasts. I cupped them quickly as if I¡¯d been longing for them. Yes, I was. I hadn¡¯t touched her for almost a week. I couldn¡¯t take advantage when she was angry at me. I wouldn¡¯t use sex or her to relieve the emptiness in my chest. ¡°Then we just have to make it fast here and then take our time in bed.¡± When I joined her, I wasn¡¯t after a quickie. With Estelle, my wife, no word as quickie in my head. I swiped her hair to the other side and began kissing over her shoulder towards her neck while my hands kneaded her breasts. They were heavier, firmer, and warm, maybe changes because of her pregnancy. She turned her head so that I could kiss her lips. With my heart racing, I pulled her closer, pressed my body against her, and we always fit right. Our kiss was slow, full of passion, and filled with desire. My cock was already rock hard, but I took time kissing her, rubbing against her ass. When a moan escaped her lips, I turned her around, breaking the kiss. My mouth went instantly to her breast, capturing it, suckling, and nibbling her nipple, and her hands came to my hair, pushing my face against her chest and then down. I knew exactly what she wanted. Nothing made me more horny for a woman who knew what she wanted. When I made my proposal, I didn¡¯t go on one knee. I could always do to give the pleasure she craved. ¡°Oh, God. Gabriel!¡± I covered her pussy with my mouth. Her taste instantly flooded my taste bud. With my hand on her ass, holding her in ce, the other spreading her pussy lips with my fingers. I groaned in satisfaction as she pushed my face into her pussy. Her moans continued, she started gasping, and I didn¡¯t wanna stop until she came all over my mouth. I licked her and fucked her with my tongue, and bit gently her clit before I sucked it hard. Her muscles were cramped. ¡°Gabriel. Fuck!¡± I stopped, my heart in my throat as I looked up to her, even if the water was spraying into my eyes. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± She sounded pissed. ¡°I thought I hurt you.¡± ¡°The only thing that can hurt me is if you won¡¯t make mee.¡± I reminded myself not to piss off a pregnant woman because she was fucking sexy as hell and angry like a mad bull. ¡°Noted, ma¡¯am.¡± I lifted her leg over my shoulder, eating her again. At this angle, I could fuck her with my mouth to her orgasm. I voraciously attacked her, sucked her, nibbled her. As Ished her clit with my tongue, a wail from her echoed in the bathroom. Her body quaked. Powerful ripples of ecstasy rocketed through her. Before she fell, I caught her in my arms and took her out of the bathroom. With dripping water all over the floor, I didn¡¯t pay much attention. I ced her down on the bed and crawled into her. She weed me with her spread legs, showing me her pink swollen pussy that I could still taste on my tongue. I didn¡¯t waste any more seconds. I gripped her hips and pressed the head of my cock into her pussy, and plunged in so deeply, making her cry out. ¡°Shit!¡± I pulled out as if I had burned myself. The room fell into silence, and her eyes grew wide. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? If you say about my pregnancy one more time, I swear to God! I¡¯m going to kick you in your chest right now.¡± ¡°Well, in my defense, I haven¡¯t had sex with a pregnant before. I just wanna make sure it¡¯s okay if I get a little rougher.¡± Her face softened. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s safe. I won¡¯t let you if my doctor forbids me.¡± ¡°Thank fuck.¡± I plunged into her again and again, and each time, I felt deeper. And she kept moaning. I couldst for minutes, even for hours, because my wife was just irresistible, and being with her was the best fucking thing I had ever felt in my life. Even the word wife was still foreign in my ears but not my heart. I kept checking myself if I was just dreaming or not. ¡°Baby, I¡¯m close.¡± ¡°I know, baby.¡± I thrust into her faster and harder, and her second orgasm started brewing deep inside her, and she moaned with my name on it. Nothing felt so prouder than watching your woman lost in the pleasure of what you did. ¡°Don¡¯t stop. Oh, God!¡± ¡°Fuck, baby. Yes!¡± I grunted in praise. Her inner muscles locked tight around my cock, and it kept me going, fucking her harder. She exploded again. The bed creaked. My teeth rattled as I nted my cock deep inside her. My fingers dug deep as I felt I was close. My balls were heavy. My muscles locked tight. My heart was about to explode. My cock swelled. One hard thrust was what it got. An animalistic roar erupted from me as my orgasm pulsed through me. I continued to rock into her, releasing the remaining tremors. I copsed onto her, and her hands came to my back. Still panting, I kissed her jaw and murmured, ¡°Am I crushing you?¡± ¡°Just my pussy.¡± My body shook. When I thought I was the only one who silentlyughed, I was wrong. ¡°That¡¯s my pussy too, baby.¡± Chapter 55 ESTELLE My hand slid to the tattoo on his abs. His muscles contracted against my touch. I was sure there was a meaning behind every ink in his body. ¡°I thought ink looked cool on my skin. Most of them have no meaning except for the date. That was when we lost my brothers Wade and Gunner.¡± ¡°Do you always have to read my mind? I thought you were not Jedi.¡± Amused, he looked down at me. We were both naked, just a sheet covering his good. ¡°So you were thinking why I got tats?¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°It fucking hurt. Though they will give you topical anesthesia, try Irezumi or Batok.¡± ¡°Why do people enjoy pain?¡± ¡°Sometimes people endure physical pain to numb the pain inside. The one untreatable by pain medication.¡± ¡°I wanna get a tattoo.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He was quick to ask me. ¡°Just a small tattoo like a script.¡± ¡°No tattoo while you¡¯re still pregnant.¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot.¡± I hid my smile. ¡°Come here, baby.¡± I crawled to him, and he wrapped me in his arms. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you from doing what you want as long as it won¡¯t harm you. It doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re married and can¡¯t do anything anymore. Our marriage doesn¡¯t and won¡¯t stop you from reaching your goals. In fact, I am here, your partner, to support you, lift you up when you fall, push you, and guide you to where you want to go. Nothing¡¯s changed. You just have a constant annoying, sometimes controllingpanion, a man to go home to, and you can¡¯t go out on a date with another man. You¡¯re off-limits, sorry, not sorry.¡± I cupped his face and kissed him. His lips parted, and our tongues touched, letting a moan slip from me. My hand explored his chest, down his abs. While exploring himself, hey on his back as a silent invitation. I straddled his hips and wrapped my hand around his length, positioning myself and rubbing his bulbous head into my wet entrance. Inch by inch, I sat slowly until he was all in. I let out a shocked breath as I felt his thick cock inside me, stretching me. My pulse galloped. ¡°Are you okay?¡± His voice was shaky. His face was red as he gripped my hips. He remained unmoving, and so did I as I tried to adjust to his girth. ¡°Yeah.¡± I put my palm on his chest and slowly lifted my ass up and down. Linden¡¯s grip tightened, holding me in ce. This time, he was the one punching his hips upward without mercy, mming deep inside me. Every time he went deep, his root nudged my clit, and I ground as I sought more, bringing me higher. I moaned, my fingers dug into his chest, and my head fell back as I got lost in the bliss. ¡°Touch your tits, baby. Roll those nipples for me.¡± I did as he asked, rewarding me with a groan of satisfaction. My breasts became heavy during my pregnancy, but it didn¡¯t stop me from getting lost in my pleasure. I sucked a huge breath. It stung at first, but then it turned to something more- it started with pain and ended in pleasure. I could be a good girl in bed as long as I got orgasms in return. When his jam turned deeper, faster, and harder, I trembled. My mouth parted. My inner muscles contracted. When he pressed his thumb against my clit, I flew higher, screaming his name. *** I woke up to the soft kisses on my back. I tried to stretch my body, but I was sore everywhere. I was fully-fucked, and well-fed, and my needs were met. What else could I ask for? When he began rubbing my shoulder, I moaned. The next thing I knew, he massaged me, and his hand felt like a touch of heaven. ¡°I can arrange a spa and massage for you.¡± ¡°No. Just do it.¡± I moaned again when he did with a little pressure against my lower back. ¡°If you keep that up, you will end up with a dick in your mouth.¡± I knew he wasn¡¯t kidding, but I wouldn¡¯t stop him. ¡°Such a dirty mouth. On my legs too.¡± ¡°Do you have massage oil?¡± ¡°No. You wore me out.¡± I turned andy on my back. He chuckled. ¡°Now, who¡¯sining when most of the time you teased me with that hand.¡± ¡°Does pregnancy make a woman horny?¡± ¡°I should look that up.¡± His hand went to my tummy. ¡°Are you okay there, bud?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°Maybe your bud is a sweetie.¡± ¡°My love will be the same. Hungry?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± I held his hand. ¡°When are we gonna go back?¡± ¡°Miss your work already?¡± ¡°No. If only I could have a long month vacation, I would, but I get a maternity leave anyway.¡± ¡°I will meet someone tomorrow. Then I will take you to the maind for shopping.¡± ¡°May I know who?¡± When he suddenly looked away, my stomach churned with dread as I sat on the bed. ¡°Baby, I thought you had already stopped pursuing a ghost.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t mention-¡± ¡°So, this is not just a honeymoon after all, huh? Again with the secrecy when it almost tore us apart. Great, Gabriel.¡± I huffed out. ¡°Baby.¡± He tried to hold my hand, but I pulled back. I dragged myself out of bed, grabbed my robe, and walked out of the room. I knew he was following me, but I didn¡¯t give a crap. Barefooted, I sprinted out of the house. I ended up walking on the beach. It was beautiful. The sun was about to set, but it was all faded to ck as I thought my husband wouldn¡¯t stop looking for a man who wouldn¡¯t want to be found. ¡°Baby, please?¡± ¡°You, dickhead. I married you and came here with you because I cared for you and wanted to spend some time with you alone, but I was so stupid to believe that what you¡¯ve been doing was for me.¡± ¡°Everything I did was for you. What I¡¯m doing and will do will always be for us. I swear, Estelle.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t swear. Why did you marry me when you¡¯re not ready to let go? When you still have unfinished business?¡± I spat out, ring at him. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for us. You have to trust me. I want closure. I want to make sure I don¡¯t have to look over my shoulder all the time. I want our family safe.¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± ¡°How can I convince you that this is for our own good?¡± ¡°Tell me everything, Gabriel. You told me you don¡¯t keep secrets from me. No more secrets, please.¡± ¡°Then we must sit down because this will be a long night.¡± As a wife, I should be more considerate. I should be patient and a listener. I gave him a chance to exin what the hell was going on. We sat for an hour with my tea and a whiskey for him. I listened as he exined it to me from beginning to end until to the fact Moses told him about it. I rose from the couch. ¡°I need some air.¡± He let me go. I went to the veranda, but my stomach was still knotted. I was afraid for my husband, friends, everyone, and child, and there was no guarantee of our safe future. At the same time, I was afraid of what was going to happen tomorrow as he would meet Jasper on the other ind. I knew I just came into his life, and I didn¡¯t know how deep his rtionship with Jasper was until he was willing to risk his life for him. I married a loyal man, trustworthy, a brave with integrity. I understood why he didn¡¯t want to give up his friend, and I couldn¡¯t let him choose between his family and Jasper because he was a family too. I felt strong arms wrapping around me. ¡°You have to be okay with me going to meet Jasper. I don¡¯t wanna go knowing you¡¯re mad at me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad. I¡¯m terrified that maybe he didn¡¯te alone, and they will hurt you or Jasper.¡± ¡°It won¡¯te to that.¡± I faced him. ¡°You don¡¯t know these people, including Hanslo, and Moses told you that they are worse than Siciliano. What if this is a trap? What if they won¡¯t allow you to leave and kidnap you instead?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t harm me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough, Gabriel.¡± ¡°I know, baby, but I promise you that I wille back to you.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Alive, I hope.¡± I looked up when my tear rolled down my face. ¡°Please, don¡¯t cry.¡± He wiped my cheek. ¡°Why did I marry someone like you whose work is dangerous?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m awesome?¡± He kissed me on the lips, on my forehead, my nose. ¡°Stop. Stop. Don¡¯t do that.¡± I pushed him on his chest. ¡°Do what?¡± He looked upset. ¡°You¡¯re not kissing me like you¡¯re going to a war.¡± ¡°I just want to kiss you.¡± I wrapped my arms around his body instead and listened to his heartbeat. ¡°You take care and try not to be a hero, okay?¡± ¡°I promise, baby.¡± ¡°You wille back to me once it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t wanna raise our baby alone, jackass.¡± ¡°We will raise our kid together, Estelle. That¡¯s a promise.¡± ¡°Okay then.¡± I pulled away. I knew he had something else to say when he kissed my hand where I wore his ring. ¡°Tomorrow, before I go, you and Quinn will fly to Paris.¡± ¡°Why?¡± My eyes widened, tears rolling down my cheeks. No matter how I tried not to cry, I couldn¡¯t hold my emotions anymore. ¡°I will wait for you here until youe back.¡± ¡°No, baby.¡± ¡°Gabriel!¡± Chapter 56 LINDEN Watching Estelle cry the entire night tore my heart out. I¡¯d never seen her sob and curl into a ball since I met her. She¡¯d shown me her breaking point, her vulnerability, her weakness, but this was different. This time, I felt her- I felt everything she endured tonight. She was not only my wife but my other half, my heart- the love of my life. ¡°Baby, you¡¯re breaking my heart.¡± I was the kind of man who acted than speak, but I thought I¡¯d said a lot tonight. And every time I went close to her, she pushed me away. I knew I was hurting her, and hurting her, I was hurting myself too. ¡°It¡¯s only just a day. You have to trust me on this. And no matter-¡± ¡°What? What, Gabriel?¡± she admonished. ¡°That I¡¯m just as just emotionally messed up, and this is pregnancy hormones? You should not have married me before you n on going on your suicide mission. Those people are dangerous, you are aware of them, but you never stop. You just keep going and going. Maybe you will only stop when you¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°I never break promises.¡± ¡°To hell with it! They don¡¯t follow the rules. They breakws. You, on the other hand, are willing to bend the rules for Jasper. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little too much?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my responsibility, Estelle.¡± ¡°Well, I am your responsibility, too, aren¡¯t I? And your unborn child. If something happens to you while you¡¯re on a stupid mission-¡± She sniffled, wiping tears away from her cheek. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t know that, do you?¡± ¡°Are you for real? God, Gabriel. They are ouws. They are criminals.¡± ¡°Jasper never gave up on my dreams. He¡¯s one of a few people who stayed even if the Firm was falling apart because we didn¡¯t have clients. It was tough. Nobody wanted to invest because I was a nobody. If I reached out to Cenric, he would do it in a heartbeat, but he already helped me.¡± ¡°I am sure Jasper wants you far from those people.¡± The anger inside her eyes shifted, and something warm took ce. ¡°I would be dead if not for him.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be entangled with them if not for Hanslo.¡± ¡°I know that, baby. I just want you to understand why I am doing this.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s pretty clear. You and your brothers¡¯ heroic tendencies are admirable, but you also have to consider your life. What does your family have to say about this? Your father, Wi, everyone? Do they know?¡± When I went silent, she turned to face me. ¡°They don¡¯t. I see. So I will carry this secret and keep it from them? Let me guess, only Moses does. Jesus, Gabriel.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have to know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want them to stop you from pursuing your mission because they can change your mind, but your wife.¡± She shrugged off. ¡°My words don¡¯t matter. I¡¯m just a wife you forced to marry because I¡¯m pregnant. The surrogate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fucking true,¡± I hissed. Anger and pain settled heavily in my chest. ¡°It is, Gabriel.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told you. I could have, but I chose to tell you because you know what secrets do to a rtionship. What happened thest time you kept a secret from me? It almost tore us apart. I want this marriage. I need this marriage. I need you in my life, with or without our child. You matter to me, Estelle. And I don¡¯t want to live that life alone anymore. Since I met you, I wanted to be happy, tough with you, to cry with you. I want that life where I could be just azy ass on the weekend and watch you messing up in the kitchen or breaking my mixer.¡± ¡°Why are we still talking? If I can¡¯t stop you. Do whatever you must do, Gabriel.¡± I dragged myself to her. No matter how resistant she made, I didn¡¯t let her go. I wrapped her in my arms until she cried again. She fell asleep, sobbing in my arms. At that moment, I knew I wouldn¡¯t live my life without her-my anchor. I got up from bed. It was three in the morning. I knew my guys were already awake. I grabbed the duvet and covered her up. I couldn¡¯t even walk away. It wasn¡¯t easy knowing I didn¡¯t have proof that the message was from Jasper or someone wanted me to be there, but it was worth a try to keep my family safe. I bent down to swipe the hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. She still sobbed. ¡°You¡¯re the best thing that ever happened in my life, Estelle.¡± I met my guys in the kitchen. Quinn was leaning against the cab, watching the steam of his coffee, seemingly in a deep thought that he didn¡¯t even notice me walk in. Lynx was on MG Laptop while Sax and Kye were making breakfast. ¡°Just got this from Mr. Braddson.¡± Qamar just handed me a file.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. I poured myself a coffee before I sat down next to Lynx. ¡°What do you get?¡± ¡°ess to our database. I got your back all the time. Don¡¯t take off your watch, no matter what. Someone like Ilya, a sick son of bitch, constantly dealing with paranoia, would scan you for trackers or wires.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Use your real name and don¡¯t show off-¡± ¡°I got this. I handled a mafia once.¡± ¡°This is different, boss. You know that, and you¡¯re on your own.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t wee with you? You¡¯re walking into a trap, brother. Why is it Jasper¡¯s life means so much to you? I don¡¯t understand,¡± Sax said. ¡°He saved my father¡¯s life.¡± Everyone went silent. Jasper promised me not to tell anyone. He didn¡¯t want to be a hero, make it a big deal, or get apliment for saving my father¡¯s life. We didn¡¯t have the same blood running in our veins, but he didn¡¯t hesitate when I was ipatible with my father. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Sax said with an absolutely shocked look. ¡°Nobody knows, except me, Jasper, my father, and his doctors. Wi never knew, even until now. I didn¡¯t tell my wife either. Now I just broke my promise to Jasper, but I want you all to understand why this is important to me.¡± ¡°We go it, brother.¡± Kye came to me and gripped my shoulder. ¡°Your secret is safe with us, boss.¡± Lynx turned theptop to me. ¡°This is our rendezvous in zero-hundred. We will wait for you until twelve hundred. If you¡¯re in trouble, just say the word summer.¡± ¡°Why do you get to choose the code word? Not me?¡± I rolled my eyes at Sax and told Lynx, ¡°Ignore him.¡± ¡°Because I am bonzer, mate.¡± I turned my head at Quinn. ¡°You haven¡¯t said a word, Hunter. What¡¯s up?¡± Finally, Quinn lifted his gaze from his coffee and sipped it. ¡°Tickets are ready. I¡¯ll help her pack once you¡¯re on your way. Don¡¯t worry. I will protect her with my life.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s noble of you.¡± I red down at Sax. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± ¡°Nothing, brother. It¡¯s just you didn¡¯t trust us on why you wanted to save Greer¡¯s ass. Then suddenly, you just dropped the bomb on us.¡± ¡°And you look at me as if I¡¯m losing my shit. You do understand secrets and promises, Sax. I don¡¯t take it lightly. I keep my word because that¡¯s what we do. I wasn¡¯t supposed to say anything, but I can¡¯t risk every one of you because this is something too personal to me. You are my brothers.¡± I wasn¡¯t only talking to Sax alone anymore. I was talking to these men. ¡°And I will do the same if you all get into trouble. That¡¯s what I would do to every one of you.¡± Kye just nodded. ¡°Would you like to say something as well, Ryder? Say it now because I can¡¯t guarantee I will be able to hear your sentiment once I am out there. And God knows if they won¡¯t cut my head and send it to you as a Christmas gift.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t die. You have a wife, and you¡¯re gonna be a father. I know no one can stop you, but juste back to us. I don¡¯t wanna be the one telling your wife or your kid that his father was an asshole who went to search for a saber tooth tiger and never came back.¡± Sax got up from his chair and came to me. ¡°Can I get at least a hug?¡± My guys chuckled and shook their heads. ¡°Just say I love you. Jesus Christ.¡± I had never seen Kye be so amused until today. ¡°I love you, bro.¡± Sax hugged me tight and kissed my head as he shook tough. ¡°Okay. Enough, Saxonia. You¡¯re taking advantage of me already.¡± We started our breakfast, and I began reading the file of Ilya¡¯s entourage. I shook my head in disbelief. ¡°Jesus Christ.¡± Chapter 57 ESTELLE It had only been a day since I came back from Paris. I tried utilizing my time and go shopping with Quinn, but my mind was on Linden all the time. He left without waking me up, and I felt terrible. I knew I was being hard on him. I couldn¡¯t allow him to go to God¡¯s forsaken ce because I was terrified for him, and I was selfish. He left thinking I was mad. The fact was, I wasn¡¯t angry, I couldn¡¯t, but I disapproved of his n. It was too dangerous, but that was the man I married. Gabriel Linden never backed down and never gave up. On the same day, I told Quinn I wanted to go home, and I hadn¡¯t heard from my husband since then. I was back home, in his house, but I felt abandoned. His side in the bed was empty the next day I woke up. The entire house wasn¡¯t the same without him. I thought I lost half of myself. I was drowning with loneliness and regrets. I just wished I wasn¡¯t so stubborn. I wished I had supported him because that was what every good wife should do. ¡°Hey, honey.¡± Mom came this morning the moment she knew I was back. ¡°I can ask the chef to cook your favorite omelet.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t replicate my husband¡¯s omelet.¡± That was true. It didn¡¯t taste the same. I didn¡¯t know why Linden¡¯s omelet tasted fantastic when they used the same ingredients. ¡°The weather is good. You might wanna get some vitamin D. It¡¯s good for you and the baby.¡± I closed my eyes. I wanted to be alone for a moment, but Mom was relentless. ¡°I¡¯m getting up. Just give me five minutes.¡± When she left the room, I went to the bathroom to clean up. I came back and wished Linden was there grinning at me, sniffing me, or surprising me at the door, but it didn¡¯t happen. He wasn¡¯t here. I sat on his side of the bed and took his pillow. I put it on my chest and squeezed it. It smelled like him, his minty shampoo that I liked. I felt like everything was driving me insane if I wouldn¡¯t put myself together. I didn¡¯t realize I wasn¡¯t prepared for this kind of life, being married to a man like Linden and being emotionally messed up with unstable hormones. ¡°Hey, mom.¡± I sat across the table full of breakfast in the backyard where we married justst week. It was a beautiful and one of the most memorable days of my life. She poured tea into my cup and gave me a slice of frittata. ¡°Try this one.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I took a small bite. Even if it tasted good, I had no appetite, but I forced myself to put something into my stomach. The servant came with my vitamins. ¡°Thank you. Can you bring me my phone?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The next person who came was Quinn. ¡°Have you heard anything from the guys?¡± I was referring to Lynx and his team. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°So they¡¯re not back?¡± ¡°You should eat your breakfast and take your vitamins.¡± ¡°They¡¯re back yet from that God-forsaken awful ce. Just say it, and don¡¯t treat me like a kid, Quinn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I want you to take care of yourself, and it¡¯s just been two days.¡± ¡°Almost three. It shouldn¡¯t have taken so long.¡± I poured a tablet from each bottle into my palm and took them with water. Mom sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t be like this.¡± I arched a brow. ¡°Like what? Hopeless? I can¡¯t help it. Now that Gabriel is not here, everyone stays away from me like I have a virus or something.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s a good thing. Let¡¯s go check the room, choose colors-¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it right now. Not until I hear something from the guys.¡± ¡°Honey.¡± Mom held my hand, squeezing it. ¡°It will help you divert your attention, kill time, and it¡¯s a good therapy.¡± The servant came with my phone. I dialed Moses. ¡°Estelle?¡± He picked up right away. ¡°I need to know the truth. Have you heard from Gabriel?¡± ¡°Nothing yet, honey. You will be the first to know if I have anything.¡± ¡°Why is he willing to risk his life for Jasper?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my story to tell.¡± ¡°Then who? It doesn¡¯t make any sense. No one could stop him.¡± I grunted in annoyance. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of man you married, Estelle, but he will be back. Just don¡¯t stress yourself. It¡¯s not good for the baby.¡± ¡°Everyone keeps saying that, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything until I heard my husband is back with me.¡± ¡°Soon. Just have faith.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what I don¡¯t havetely.¡± ¡°Estelle-¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know you¡¯re a busy man. I mean, you have a life, a multi-billion dorpany to run-¡± ¡°Gabe is my second son. I will do everything for him. You have my word.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I nodded and let go of a deep breath. Mom and I were sitting on the lounge an hourter as I tried to choose from the color palette. ¡°This one.¡± Mom pointed at cadet blue. ¡°Nice if you¡¯re having a boy.¡± ¡°I want at least three colors in the room. Same if I am having a girl.¡± ¡°When are you going to find out?¡± ¡°My next appointment will be in two weeks.¡± I breathed deeply. ¡°I¡¯m scared, Mom.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be alone for the whole pregnancy,bor, and raising your kids. Your husband is a good man.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. I rested my head on her shoulder. ¡°I sometimes pinched myself to make sure I wasn¡¯t dreaming. I¡¯m now married. In two months, I will be twenty-five pregnant. And in a few months, I will be having a baby.¡± ¡°You have a good life.¡± ¡°Imagine if I didn¡¯t meet Gabriel.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go there. What¡¯s important is what blessings you have right now.¡± ¡°While my husband is away, risking his life for someone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s who he is. Don¡¯t change him. Just be his anchor. Be each other¡¯s anchor. That¡¯s what marriage is.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± I lifted my gaze to see Jaymes at the door. ¡°Hey, Pops.¡± I got up to go to him. ¡°Sorry. I just like listening to your son calling you Pops.¡± ¡°You can always call me Pops. You¡¯re my daughter now.¡± He hugged me tight. ¡°How are you doing?¡± ¡°Jaymes, I¡¯m d you¡¯re here,¡± Mom said. ¡°I don¡¯t know my son¡¯s ns, but he always finds his way home.¡± He sat on the sofa across from my mother. I was d these two got along well. ¡°I¡¯m just worried.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what a good wife would feel like. And he never told me he was going somewhere until Moses called me earlier today.¡± ¡°Sounds just like him.¡± I chuckled. ¡°My heart was always beating fast when my son was on tour. Whenever I heard a doorbell, I prayed it wasn¡¯t from his CO. I always felt like being hung by a thread. I was grateful and feel terrible he came back to me while the others didn¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°I guess I know now what I signed up for, even if he¡¯s not in service anymore. He just likes helping people. It¡¯s part of him.¡± I shrugged in understanding. He sighed as he looked at me before he spoke. ¡°I made a promise to a young man three years ago. I was in a car ident.¡± ¡°Oh, my God.¡± My hands were on my chest. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to hear that.¡± ¡°My liver was punctured, and I needed immediate liver transnt surgery. I wasn¡¯tpatible with my son, and my daughter had poorer chances of being my donor, but a young man didn¡¯t hesitate, volunteering himself.¡± Goosebumps erupted on my skin. I felt like I already met that young man he was talking about. ¡°Gabe didn¡¯t see Jasper just because he was a good friend or apany co-founder. I owed him my life. Jasper didn¡¯t want everyone to know he was the donor because of this. He doesn¡¯t want someone to owe him anything, but you know my son. He doesn¡¯t give up on someone he cares about and-¡± ¡°His family.¡± Chapter 58 LINDEN ¡°Any helpful advice?¡± ¡°Linden, you know I always like you, but I advise you not to go there. It¡¯s not worth it, but I know I¡¯m just wasting my time, and you won¡¯t listen to me or anyone. So, why bother asking for advice?¡± I let go of a long draggy breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Terzo. You know how this family works better than I do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a family. It¡¯s an organization. Have you heard the Absolom? Bigger than that. Think about it as The Hover without license and certification. That¡¯s how broad and big that is. Even my father doesn¡¯t wanna cross paths with Ilya, the son. And he¡¯s already the bad wolf in the blizzard. That cold doesn¡¯t bother him.¡± ¡°I have to do this.¡± ¡°Then did you say goodbye to your wife and your child? Congrattions, by the way. I hope you receive my gift.¡± ¡°That was kind of you. Thank you, Terzo.¡± Terzo was a son of a bitch, but he helped us, and I didn¡¯t thank him enough. I thought sending us a gift, a Moka pot, was thoughtful. ¡°Then you just got your ticket punched, my friend.¡± ¡°You¡¯re terrible at giving advice.¡± ¡°Maybe we are criminals in your eyes, but one thing we don¡¯t like is people getting in our business. You are a nobody once you are there. You are not invited or have a business deal with them. Never provoke anyone. Never curse. You American likes to curse. Never insult them. They may know your secrets, so don¡¯t lie. Tell your true intentions and that way, they may give you what you came for, but don¡¯t expect without challenges.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°They may challenge you in a ring or ask you to kill someone in cold blood.¡± Fuck. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your wife has my protection. Take care, my friend. I hope to see you again soon. Good luck.¡± We had to travel to Athens in the morning. It was hard to leave. My heart was always with Estelle, but I owed something to Jasper even if he didn¡¯t ask for it. ¡°If I don¡¯t make it back in four days, give this to my wife. She knows what to do with this.¡± I gave a man envelope to Sax. I guessed I came unprepared. I was too caught up with finding Jasper, getting married, and going on a honeymoon. I didn¡¯t update myst will or talk to mywyers about legal matters. But I knew my wife didn¡¯t marry me to rob me. ¡°You will be back in two days, brother. You have my word. I will protect this with my life until you can have this back.¡± I jumped into the ferry with only a small backpack containing cash, ID, and a passport. The ferry left as soon as I got in that would send me to the small ind of Poros, and I would be meeting someone to take me to Jasper¡¯s location. This way, I had no tail. I couldn¡¯t be traced. I entered a small bar in Poros, not exposed to tourists, which could be the best ce to deal with drugs and trafficking. ¡°Tsipouro.¡± A man around my age quickly understood my code. He tipped his head to the staff door to my left. He then ced a distilled spirit in a small ss simr to vodka. I poured a shot and drank it. I pulled a bill to cover the entire bottle before I went to whatever was behind that door, then pushed it open. Before I could look around, someone must have been behind the door all this time, waiting for me. My hand instantly went to the pain like a bee sting on my neck. Fuck. The effect was fast before I even realized what it was. My vision blurred. No matter how I tried to crack my eyes open, the drug went into my system quickly. I felt falling to the floor before my vision went ck. ***N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. My head was heavy and hammering, but that wasn¡¯t the first thing I felt- the cold cemented floor, the smell of sweat, dirt, and blood. The noises, the crowd cheering, hit my ear. Where the hell am I? I was quick in my seat when I remembered what happened at the bar. There wasn¡¯t much to look around because I was in a human-sized cage, and my bag wasn¡¯t with me anymore. Hard footsteps were closing in, something simr tobat boots. I rose to my feet and waited for the man to appear. To my dismay, it wasn¡¯t Jasper. I didn¡¯t even have a fucking clue who he was- probably just a low-life thug, a middle man with long curly ck hair, a long mustache, with dark eyes. ¡°You wanna meet Jakob?¡±Jakob?Fuck. I made it. ¡°Where am I? Where¡¯s my belongings?¡± My watch was gone too. Shit. ¡°The only way to meet Jakob is through that door.¡± He tipped his chin at the metal door before unlocking the cage. ¡°If you can¡¯t survive in there, ba-bye.¡± I didn¡¯t have a choice, did I? I exited the iron cage and entered the door he pointed at. The loud bang almost startled me as the thick metal door closed and locked behind me, leaving me nowhere to go but forward. ¡°Get in the ring, American.¡± I didn¡¯t notice the ent of the middleman guy until the man talked. He was tall, Caucasian, mid-forties, with brown eyes. He was Russian. So I was precisely in the lion¡¯s den. ¡°Enter, or you will be shot dead.¡± I scanned around and noticed one bald man with a handgun on his hip, who didn¡¯t try to hide it from me. At three o¡¯clock, another man in a leather jacket met my eye intensely. My guess was he had a gun stuck on his back. The audience started cheering, yelling, and booing. Hundreds of people surrounded the ring, worse than the MMA cage. The smell of blood and sweat was nauseating. And I was left with no choice. Me in that cage or dead outside. ¡°Take off your shoes, American.¡± I did as he said. Then my life depended on how I fought or who would be my opponent. The gate to hell opened. The ring announcer started. My heart began galloping, and the fight hadn¡¯t even begun. I stepped inside. These people enjoyed human cockfights and just went crazy, not because they were here to cheer for me but to boo and yell, if my non-existence Russian vocabry was correct,kill.Now I wished Lynx taught me before I walked into the death trap. The only thing I understood from the announcer was Linden, the boss. They could have given me a better catchy name, but whatever. When he announced my contender, the crowd went wild. I knew what this meant. He was a good fighter, maybe had been champion more than once, a crowd favorite, and this would only mean one thing- I was in so much trouble. The door from my opponent¡¯s side opened. I was tall and muscly, but he was taller than me and with the body of a wrestler. If his look could kill me, I would be dead instantly. Then it hit me as I looked at the ugly scar on his left cheek.Son of a bitch.Aleksandr Gusev. He was one of those files sent to me by Moses- he must have known it woulde down to this, so I could prepare myself and find my opponent¡¯s weakness. I kept a mental note on that. The bell rang. My pulse raced, and I¡¯d never been more terrified than today. Estelle¡¯s crying face shed into my head, breaking my heart, and I swore I would not put her through that again if I could make it out tonight. I would devote my life to making my wife happy and taking care of my child. Chapter 59 ESTELLE I returned to work, utilizing my time, hoping to divert my attention from Linden and be productive. It worked for a while because I had to think positively. And I knew in my heart Linden was somewhere with Jasper, drinking beers,ughing together. Still, my stomach churned with dread. ¡°Hey, honey. The finished products just arrived. I love the new packaging.¡± Mom sang with her smile from ear to ear as she walked into my office. I stood up from my chair as the trolley came. ¡°Me too.¡± Mom and I sat next to each other as we began unboxing and testing, even if it was already tested. I chose first the organic one. We had a particrly unique type of packaging that the CEO, me, and our designer knew the secret to protect the products from counterfeit fraud. ¡°It¡¯s impressive.¡± I loved the antioxidant-tinted serum. It was thinner, lightweight, and easy to absorb on the skin. I sniffed it. ¡°It almost doesn¡¯t have a smell.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. Usually your olfactory is very strong.¡± ¡°Right. Try this Vit. C moisturizer.¡± I gave it to Mom. She smelled it. ¡°It¡¯s citrusy, light, and refreshing. Sometimes, some products have this pungent smell. It triggered my migraine.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, wow.¡± I opened the packaging of the hydrating set. ¡°I need to have this.¡± Momughed and paused, testing the lip gloss collection on her hand. ¡°These are yours, honey. Of course, you can take them home.¡± ¡°I really love the colors-light and aesthetic. And I have all the products at home, Mom. They¡¯re a reminder of my hard work. I use mine even if I have money to buy an expensive product. I want to prove to everyone that what we have is safe and effective.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re having a girl.¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you say that?¡± I turned to her, smiling. ¡°The color, the scent, you appreciate sweet and light instead of strong and dark colors.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s gonna be a daddy¡¯s girl.¡± My smile widened as I was still grateful I had my child to keep going. Mom squeezed my hand. ¡°I know it¡¯s been tough days, but he¡¯ll be back soon. He never breaks promises.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mom, for being here.¡± ¡°I will always be here with you. So your next appointment is next week, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You and Gabe are gonna find out the gender?¡± I grinned sheepishly. ¡°Yeah, about that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna keep it from me?¡± Her eyes squinted. ¡°You have to wait, Mom.¡± I widened my eyes. ¡°Oh, my. That¡¯s my first grandchild.¡± Mom became teary-eyed. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe I¡¯m gonna be a grandmother.¡± Iughed. It felt good tough. ¡°You¡¯re not that old. I just get knocked up early.¡± Sheughed again and shook her head in amusement. ¡°Gabe is a catch. He¡¯s also kind, loves you, and knows in the kitchen. He respects me, not just as your mother, but values my opinion. Knowing I am your employee, I might not get that from another man.¡± ¡°Mom.¡± My heart melted. ¡°You are overqualified for the position. Plus, I trust you, not just as my mother, but I know you won¡¯t let everyone down.¡± ¡°I know, honey.¡± When she paused, I knew she wanted to say something that could trigger my mood. ¡°Have you heard from your father?¡± ¡°I decided not to invite him to my wedding. I doubt if he even wanted to attend after our- you know. And he didn¡¯t even try to reach out. He was mad when he found out I was dating Gabriel.¡± ¡°Soon, he will realize what he did was wrong or already done. The problem with your father is he¡¯s misogynist.¡± ¡°Of course, he wished I was a boy.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You are better than men in their line of work. You are better than your father.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± I rested my head on her shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do without you.¡± *** I wished I could just sleep right away once I got home, but that was not the case. I missed my husband. I missed his presence- hisugh, smile, and everything about this house reminded me of him. And it hadn¡¯t been the same without him since he left. The food on the te should be appetizing, and the chef had a thing with ting, but it didn¡¯t work on me when I had a lot on my te right now. I¡¯d rather eat Gabriel¡¯s omelet or his charred-crust pizza. But I had to eat for my child, and I was starving. ¡°Thank you, chef.¡± I was about to pick up my fork when I heard amotion from the living. ¡°Gabriel!¡± I was on my feet, sprinting from our dining room toward the hallway in a matter of seconds. I heard the chef calling my name, but I wanted to see my Linden. I halted, rooting to the ground as I saw the guys. I saw first Lynx, then Quinn. The next man to walk in was Kye, followed by Sax. I tipped my head excitedly to see my maning next to the door, but it didn¡¯t happen. The door shut, and Linden wasn¡¯t with them. ¡°Where¡¯s Gabriel?¡± I asked Sax first. Then, I looked at them one by one. ¡°No. No way. Where is he?¡± I narrowed at Lynx. Their faces fell. Their gazes dropped. Their shoulders sagged. Everyone swallowed as if choking on their own words. ¡°I¡¯m asking every one of you,¡± I said sternly. ¡°Where. Is. My. Husband?¡± Their silence spoke volumes, but I would not ept it. ¡°Mrs. Linden, we waited two days in our rendezvous, but he didn¡¯t show up. We inquired, and nobody seemed to have seen him after getting into the bar, but nobody saw him get out.¡± ¡°So what?¡± I widened my eyes. I wanted an exnation. I wanted to know everything. ¡°He¡¯s abducted by aliens. That¡¯s it? For God¡¯s sake, you have a multi-million dor advanced technology. Use it. Call the Hover. Go to Osmium and find him!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been there for twelve hours.¡± My eyes narrowed at Lynx. ¡°So you¡¯ve been in the country for twelve hours, and none of you cane to me or call me?¡± I specifically looked at Sax and Kye because Linden trusted him with his life. And Linden would not hesitate to donate his kidney to one of them if they needed it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Estelle.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your apology, Sax. Either you¡¯ve been looking in the wrong ce, or you¡¯re just not looking hard enough. If this happens to you, Gabriel wouldn¡¯t just stand there and wait for good news. He would scour the world and kick doors to find you.¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t find traces and trails. His watch is not essible. He didn¡¯t use his passport, so my guess is if he-¡± ¡°If he¡¯s still alive? He¡¯s alive! Goddamn it. My husband is alive! I can feel it. I know it.¡± When my chin started trembling, they took a step toe to me. I raised my hand. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you gave up on him easily. I thought you were all his friends, but it seems to me that you only see him as your boss. Nothing more.¡± ¡°Estelle, we¡¯re not giving up.¡± I red at Kyle. ¡°You already are. I guess I¡¯ll just have to hire another contractor to find my husband, even if I have to use all my money. Money doesn¡¯t matter to me if I don¡¯t see Gabriel again.¡± ¡°The team is still working off-the-clock, scrolling through ten miles radius. I already called Moses, maybe his Russian contacts have information, and I also informed Terzo maybe he heard something from his associates. We¡¯re here to tell you personally and make sure you¡¯re not alone in this difficult time.¡± Kye walked to me to pull me into a hug. ¡°I never and will never give up on Linden, even if it takes days or months to find a needle in a thousand haystacks. And I know he¡¯s just out there.¡± I nodded and wiped my tears as I looked at him. He was also suffering. His eyes filled with dread and pain. I drew a deep breath when I suddenly felt dizzy. ¡°Kye.¡± I managed to call his name and held tightly in his arms before my vision went ck. Chapter 60 LINDEN I quickly took off my shirt, positioned my stance, and cracked my fingers. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know how to defeat him. I didn¡¯t know if I could. He was an MMA fighter but lost his chance of identally killing someone outside the ring. And this was an underground fight against killers, murderers, and gamblers- all criminal activities and ground rules didn¡¯t apply. This was a dirty sport. But I was not going to die tonight. Aleksandr advanced forward. Of course, he did. He wanted to end this fight quickly. I moved forward but maintained my ground, focusing on his possible move. His first jab almost hit my face, and I did a counterattack to push him back. But it was just a warm-up. I took my own emotional and physical injuries in only three minutes. We had bloody faces, but I took the worse. He struck me hard with a kick on my side. I had bruised face and probably cracked ribs. Sure, I endured a broken nose, bloody mouth, and my strength was draining so fast, and I hadn¡¯t beaten him. All I could think of right now was the people I left home- my wife and my child. I drew a painful breath to gather myst strength. I made a quick mental note and studied his move. I knew his weakness, but he was strong and fast. I hadn¡¯t made it closer to kicking his ass, either. He was good with Krav Manga, but I knew Muay Thai. His eye shifted outside the ring for a mere second- probably a signal to end this fight- my death was sealed if I would not work it fast. My advance was technique. When I knew he was about to throw his famous roundhouse kick, my height was my advantage. I slid right off down, gathered all my strength, and kicked the back of his knee. I knew he had a history of broken pate. He screamed in pain like a motherfucker. I got my advantage. The crowd gasped. While he was wailing in agony, I got to my feet. With my best and probably only move, I had left, and if I missed this, my body would end up in thendfill site where nobody could find me. I threw my Bruce Lee¡¯s low kick, making sure I got to hit his knee. A loud crack echoed, breaking his tibia all over again. They wanted a kill. I grabbed his head and locked his neck with my arm, ready to snap his neck, but something happened unexpected. A sting on my neck caused me to fall to the ground. *** I groaned. Everything hurt every time I moved, even the slightest. Even breathing hurt like a motherfucker. My mind seemed to freeze. Why did every cell in my body hurt? I tried opening my eyes, but it felt like a fucking queen bee fucked me over. Then I remembered what happened at the ring. ¡°Fuck.¡± I jolted to get up. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t try that if I were you.¡± I could barely open my eyes, but I knew that voice. My chest lightened up. I thought I just smiled. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I feel like a king, rescued by my favorite knight, and you risked your life to see me, Linden. What the fuck, man? We already talked about this.¡± ¡°At least give me water, asshole.¡± I cleared my throat again. I felt like I hadn¡¯t drunk in days. ¡°Just take it easy.¡± He helped the cup into my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not dead. That¡¯s good news.¡± I finally opened my eyes. Jasper looked good in his fancy suit with a buzz cut, and he even grew a beard. ¡°Is he dead?¡± ¡°Good as dead.¡± I nodded. ¡°You look good.¡± ¡°Congrattions. I¡¯m happy for you.¡± ¡°I wish you were there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re married now and be a daddy in a few months.¡± He sighed. I almost didn¡¯t catch the pain streaking in his eyes. ¡°You know about that, too.¡± ¡°I know everything that¡¯s going on at home. I knew that first before you did.¡± I nodded in understanding when everything suddenly became clear. ¡°You should go. You¡¯re not safe here, and there¡¯s no way I can protect you. You shouldn¡¯t havee here in the first ce.¡± ¡°Let me guess. You did not send that coordinates.¡± He looked down as if he¡¯d done something shameful. ¡°I¡¯m not judging you. In fact, I owe you that much. That¡¯s why I needed to see you. I want to know if you¡¯re still alive. But why, Jasper? I wanna know the truth.¡± I searched for the truth in his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything, but I want you to know that you¡¯re the only person I havee close to a family. If anyone owed you, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Thene with me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± He shook his head slowly. ¡°You know that.¡± I looked around. I was in a hospital bed. ¡°Are we safe?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I can¡¯t stay long. You will be transferred to the city in an hour for recovery.¡± ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask. Just trust me. And don¡¯t do something stupid like that again, especially for me.¡± A small smile appeared on his lips. ¡°Then don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°I have no n in dying.¡± Before I could cry, I pulled him into a hug. Well, I just cried. ¡°You better be alive to see your nephew, brother.¡± ¡°Or niece.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I breathed deeply. ¡°How long I¡¯ve been here?¡± ¡°Two days.¡± ¡°Fuck. Fuck.¡± I groaned. My ribs hurt. He frowned. ¡°Well, you only have three broken ribs, bruises everywhere, a broken nose, and an ugly face to go home to your wife, and thankfully, you didn¡¯t have concussions. You¡¯re lucky he didn¡¯t smash your head and beat you to death, asshole. I almost- never mind. I¡¯m d you¡¯re alive.¡± ¡°Not so lucky for the opponent. Who drugged me?¡± ¡°Me. I didn¡¯t want you to kill him. You¡¯re not that man. You¡¯re not one of them.¡± His jaw locked tight. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Gabe.¡± ¡°Will I ever see you again? Do I get to know what¡¯s going on?¡± Jasper didn¡¯t answer but smiled- and something in that smile held a lot of messages and raised many questions in my brain. That was not even enough for me. I barely scratched the surface, but I was happy to see him well and alive, even if he was in hostile territory. Apparently, I thought I would go by boat again or ambnce. After being transferred by three cars and four routes, I finally arrived at the private airport with a private jet waiting for me. It eventually became clear to me, hence his smile. I went up the jet. A ck woman sitting in the corner in a gray suit caught my eye and just proved my suspicions-his handler. I grimaced as I took a sit across from her. The drug was wearing off. And my brace was fucking ufortable. ¡°The three initials. I didn¡¯t see thising.¡± ¡°You almost ruined my operation, and blew his cover, Mr. Linden.¡± This woman showed no emotion. Her dark eyes bore mine.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Well, you should have said something without me getting broken bones and punches, and my wife would probably let me sleep outside the room for a month. We could have pretended that.¡± I felt the jet moving. I buckled in. ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°You got married and a kid on the way.¡± ¡°Thanks. We¡¯re flying. So this is where you¡¯ll throw me off the ne without a parachute?¡± She then picked up something from her bag and dropped it on the table. Inside the ziplock bag were my passport, ID, and cash. My watch was in it too. ¡°I was thinking about it if you blew his cover. I worked hard for this operation for months, and there you go, the hero you are, trying to save his best friend.¡± ¡°More than my best friend. You sent that image from the CCTV, the ess card, and the coordinates. Who¡¯s fault is that?¡± ¡°Do you think only the Hover has that kind of advanced technology?¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t known, your agency is one of their secret government partners.¡± ¡°Say no more.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re the one who gave that info to Hanslo.¡± ¡°No. Jasper did. He did what I said to his father to make his cover story more convincing, and because of his father and family history, he fit perfectly for the role. And besides, you all are gonna be involved because of him. And you bought it.¡± ¡°But Vasilyev is a rtive of Yelena Ivanov.¡± ¡°Yes. That part is true.¡± ¡°You know those are criminals, but what is his mission?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ssified.¡± Of course. I would be surprised if she told me. I just rolled my eyes at the woman, who I didn¡¯t even catch her name. ¡°Let me guess. I can¡¯t know your name too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that way.¡± ¡°What is it for him?¡± ¡°A job in a government, a purpose, a little adventure. And Hanslo will be given early parole.¡± I leaned back. ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d say that. Mr. Linden, our paths may cross again. I may need your help, but this meeting never takes ce.¡± ¡°Copy that, ma¡¯am.¡± Chapter 61 ESTELLE ¡°Hey, honey.¡± I hummed to Mom¡¯s soothing voice and the fresh scent of flowers. The room smelled of roses. When I was younger, I got a stomach bug and was absent from sses for the whole day. Mom was a worrier when I was a kid, and I heard this tone before until I remembered talking to Kye. Thest thing I knew, I was so dizzy. ¡°Mom?¡± I quickly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the ceiling in the bedroom. ¡°Hey. Easy there, honey.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± I dragged myself to lean against the headboard and took the ss she offered. ¡°You copsed.¡± The worry in her voice was evident. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± My hand came to my tummy. ¡°You¡¯re okay. The baby is okay. Doctor Chesca was here, and she did a bedside ultrasound. She said not to stress out.¡± I drank the water and nodded. ¡°Sometimes I¡¯m so selfish.¡± ¡°Enough of that. Someone here wants to see you.¡± ¡°Who?¡± I ced the ss on the bedside. ¡°Hey, preggy.¡± Wi walked in. ¡°Oh, my God. What are you doing here?¡± I was already beaming. I thought it was Christmas morning. She sat on the bed and hugged me tight. ¡°I should havee sooner.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here now, right?¡± ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not good because I just copsed and haven¡¯t heard from your brother. I¡¯m worried, but at the same time, I have to take care of myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay until my brotheres back.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna burden you.¡± She rolled her eyes. Her smile never faded. ¡°You¡¯re my sister now. Shut up and move to the side.¡± I chuckled as I dragged myself to my side. ¡°Are you dating anyone?¡± She snorted. ¡°I think Gabe warned all the male poption to stay away from me. Everyone said hi to me and recognized I was the sister of Gabe Linden, and they would not see me again.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s not because you¡¯re Gabe Linden¡¯s baby sis, but because you¡¯re intimidating as hell. You¡¯re like a rock star, Wi. Tall, gorgeous, ys tennis like a pro, you¡¯re a martial arts enthusiast, art expert, connoisseur. You¡¯re a badass. I mean, you should edit your Ig profile to a pottery maker, pizza lover, and purrent.¡± Sheughed out loud. Her voice echoed. The bed shook. All I could do was stare at her. She reallyughed like her brother. She suddenly stopped. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m just lucky to have you as my sister-inw. You and I got along quickly. You never looked at me like a brat or a rich kid.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a rich kid. You are rich. And when I first saw you, you¡¯re far from a spoiled brat or gregarious, or condescending and pompous, who doesn¡¯t hold her own bag, doesn¡¯t wear cheap clothes. I saw you as a woman who got jealous of me and thought I and my brother were together. Ew¡±. She cringed in the end, making me giggle. ¡°Wait. You knew?¡± ¡°Even blind people could see that.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°For real?¡± ¡°That you both into each other? Why do you think I called my father that night? I said, Dad, I think we¡¯ll hear a wedding bell soon. Your son just found his girl.¡± Iughed more, and it felt good. ¡°Dad was like, oh, Gabe?¡± she mimicked Jaymes¡¯ voice. ¡°Iughed at him. I said, Dad, do you have another son I didn¡¯t know about? He said it¡¯s about damn time. I¡¯ve figured out your brother for a while now. He wanted to settle down, but his friends thought he was not looking for rtionships.¡± I smiled. My chest squeezed tight. ¡°I missed him.¡± Wi turned to me. ¡°I missed him too. I felt like my life was always hanging by a thread every time he was out there, but I got used to that because he was good at what he did. I just found out why he wanted to see Jasper. I had no idea he was the donor. Now I understand, and I would have done the same thing.¡± ¡°Thanks for being here. You really lift me up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to be here, too.¡± She held my hand and squeezed it. ¡°So, I was thinking. Since you¡¯re here now, maybe you can help me choose the color for the-¡± ¡°Nursery? I¡¯d love that.¡± Her eyes lit up. She really made me happy for a while and reminded me a lot of Linden. ¡°Great.¡± I got up from the bed. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay to get up?¡± ¡°Yup. I¡¯m feeling fine.¡± I put my slippers on. ¡°You¡¯re gonna tell me quickly if you¡¯re feeling even a little dizzy, okay?¡± Wi followed me to the other room. ¡°I will.¡± I picked up the color palette on the floor. The nket Mom and I used days ago was still there. ¡°So, did you pick a color?¡± ¡°Mom and I chose these colors. These three types of blue, and I was thinking pastel if we¡¯re having a girl.¡± ¡°I will give you something.¡± She joined me on the nket. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s for the nursery. I¡¯ll give it to you once it¡¯s ready.¡± She picked up the pink palettes. ¡°I like vani ice, azalea, linen, and-¡± ¡°Ecru white.¡± We looked at each other and smiled. We had the same choices. ¡°You can add to your choices like a dust storm and rosy brown.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ready good choices. I suppose you¡¯re looking for a frence job. I could really use your idea for our baby products. You have a great eye for colors. Sometimes, I had to reset my eyes repeatedly and still picked the same colorbination.¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re interested. We¡¯re working on baby product designs. I want something new, fresh, attractive to kids and moms.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you my samples.¡± ¡°Thanks. Gosh. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re here.¡± I bumped her with my arm. ¡°Mind if I join?¡± I gasped. My heart nearly stopped to hear that voice. My back stiffened. I froze for a while before taking a breath and processing. I was already alone on the nket. Wi was on her feet faster than I was. When I turned my head, all I saw was rugged jeans. ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming. I¡¯m not dreaming. I¡¯m not dreaming. Oh my God.¡± I kept repeating those words until I found the strength to get up from my seat, even if I felt my knees wobbling. I turned aroundpletely. My eyes widened. My mouth parted, and he was there standing and smiling at me. The same smile I fell for and the same smile I saw every morning. ¡°Gabriel.¡± I could barely hear and recognize my own voice. It was low and shaky. ¡°Miss me?¡± That cocky voice and his cocky smirk. ¡°Gabriel.¡± I didn¡¯t know how I managed to run and throw myself into him without falling. He caught me, lifted me up, and I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. ¡°God, I miss you.¡± He wrapped his arms around me, kissed and inhaled my neck. ¡°Estelle.¡± ¡°I thought-¡± There you go again. My emotions were everywhere. My eyes began to water. He suddenly hissed as if he was in pain. I stiffened, unwrapped my legs, and he helped my feet to the floor. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± I cupped his face. How did I not see this? ¡°Oh, my God. Baby.¡± My vision blurred. Tears, these stupid tears, kept flowing like a stream. I wiped them away to see my husband¡¯s busted face. He had bruises all over his face and might as well have a broken nose. ¡°I¡¯m okay, baby. Stop crying.¡± He cupped my face and pressed his lips against mine. I kissed him back, and he sighed. Our sweet kiss turned into a desperate one. I missed him. We missed each other, and I thought I wouldn¡¯t see him again. We kissed until we needed to catch our breath. That was when we pulled apart. ¡°Who did this to you? Jasper?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, baby.¡± ¡°You should see a doctor.¡± ¡°I did. I already did. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m healing, but it may take weeks.¡± ¡°Weeks? Weeks?¡± I repeated and lifted his shirt, and that was when I saw his brace and bruises everywhere. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± Linden caught me before I fell. ¡°Baby, breathe.¡± Yeah, breathe, Estelle. ¡°Breathe, Estelle.¡± I did as he said. ¡°You¡¯re pale. You need to see a doctor.¡± ¡°I did. I already did.¡± ¡°Are you repeating my words? Or- Jesus Christ. Are you okay, baby?¡± I closed my eyes for a brief moment. ¡°Are you asking our baby or me?¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°My love, this is not the time to joke around.¡± ¡°Did she copse again?¡± Wi asked. Ipletely forgot about her. ¡°What do you mean she copsed again?¡± His head turned to Wi with a deep frown on his forehead, and I bit my inner cheek. ¡°Let me help her.¡± I thought it was Kye. ¡°Please, brother. Take her to bed.¡± ¡°I can walk,¡± I protested as I tried to get up. ¡°No walking.¡± He literally gave me to Kye like a baby wrapped in a nket. ¡°Jeez. For a moment, I thought whoever did this to you had already hurt your ego and taken away your controlling and bossy attitude. I was wrong.¡± ¡°I was gone for a few days and thought you changed.¡± He chuckled. The bastard Linden was back. ¡°How about I¡¯ll give you two more broken bones?¡± Heughed out loud and coughed. He sounded like he had wheezing. ¡°Easy, brother,¡± Kye told him before he put me to bed. ¡°You need to heal.¡± ¡°You need to see a doctor again, Gabriel.¡± ¡°I will, baby. For a follow-up, but I need to hold my wife first.¡± When the door shut, he came to bed with me, pulled me slowly back in his arms, and kissed me. I kissed him back. When he loosened up a bit, I bit his bottom lip hard enough to bleed. He groaned, squeezing my butt. When I met his angry eyes, I raised a brow. ¡°What? Do you have any problem with me?¡± He licked the spot where I bit him. It was swollen. I could still see the mark on my teeth. ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°For making me worry as fuck, Gabriel. For making me think that I lost you. You know what it feels like?¡± ¡°I certainly do. I felt that every second I was away from you, thinking that I might not gonna see you again and I might not get the chance to see my child.¡± ¡°Fuck you.¡± ¡°Fuck you, too.¡± Chapter 62 LINDEN It was good to be back home, at least in one piece. I was only gone for four days, yet a lot of things happened in my absence. My wife copsed, worrying about me. Thankfully, she was fine, and our baby was healthy. I didn¡¯t want it to happen again, not on my watch. But that was not what was going on right now. I was in the bathtub, and she was out, rubbing my back with her pink loofah. I couldn¡¯t protest without getting her pissed. When I moved inside, she groaned. ¡°I said, no sudden movements. You¡¯re not wearing your brace.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need that, baby. It doesn¡¯t hurt much,¡± I lied. It still hurt as fuck. Every time I breathed, it fucking hurt like a heavy rock pressed against my chest. ¡°The doctor said, you keep that, then that¡¯s what you will do, Gabriel.¡± She then put shampoo into my hair. I felt like a king right now. I never thought Estelle would do something like this to me, and I couldn¡¯t help but turn weepy. God, I loved this woman so much. I took her hand and kissed it. ¡°I can do it, baby. You, on the other hand, need to rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been resting the whole day. Just let me clean you up. Then, you need to get some sleep. No more talking to your guys until you rest. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes, boss.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such an ass.¡± She groaned. ¡°You¡¯re the boss of me, baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, but you¡¯re the kind of man who couldn¡¯t be bossed around, doesn¡¯t follow your boss¡¯ order.¡± She sprayed water into my head and did a good massage on my scalp. ¡°Simple things won¡¯t follow.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Damn. That¡¯s good.¡± I moaned. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t hit your head pretty hard?¡± ¡°You should have seen that guy.¡± ¡°What really happened, Gabriel?¡± She was curious, and I wasn¡¯t sure telling her about violence was a good idea. ¡°That¡¯s for another time.¡± ¡°He did a number on you, though.¡± ¡°Well, he was bigger than me. I broke his bones and could have killed him-¡± I stopped when she gasped. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°I think I get used to it by now. I just wish I didn¡¯t hear something violent more often. Did you find Jasper?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Is he okay?¡± ¡°Better than me, I guess.¡± I turned to face her. There was still a deep frown between her brows. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t put you in the same situation again. All I could think of when I was there was you, our baby, and how I left you.¡± She put a finger on my lips. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. When our family and the extended families are in danger, I won¡¯t stop you. I guess the fear of marrying or being with you wasn¡¯t just because I was afraid that our rtionship might not work. Maybe your job, who you are to these guys, and who you were is what scares me. I was scared that something like this might happen. But I will support you from now on because I know what you do is important to you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled, and her brows drew together. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, baby, but I might have broken another part of me. Can you check if it still works?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Go ahead. You know what to do. You¡¯re a grown adult, Linden.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh and held her hand when she got up. I winced in pain. ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh, Estelle. I swear it hurt like fuck.¡± ¡°I thought it didn¡¯t hurt a lot. Clean up, broken dick.¡± I was stillughing silently when she left the bathroom. I quickly cleaned the soap on my body before wrapping the towel tightly around my waist. When I thought she was done, I was wrong. She had my razor in her hand. I froze. ¡°Are you sure you know how to use that thing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not gonna shave you down there.¡± ¡°Really? I was expecting you would start from down.¡± ¡°Sit, Gabriel.¡± I sighed before I sat. Good luck to me. ¡°Let me guess. I¡¯m not the first man- ouch.¡± She pped her palms on my cheeks to stop me from moving. ¡°How did you learn-¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± She put her foot just between my thighs on the chair, a little below my dick. ¡°Careful, buddy.¡± When the razor buzzed, I lifted my chin and rxed. And then she began from the top of my cheek and the side of my face towards the jaw. She actually knew what she was doing, not shaving me clean but trimming my beard. I looked at her and ced my hand on her smooth leg, making her groan. She was focused, her lip caught between her teeth. Estelle was just beautiful. Once she was done with the right, she turned my face to do the left. ¡°I¡¯d never seen you shaved clean.¡± I held her hand to stop. ¡°Then do it.¡± ¡°Nah. I like you like this.¡± I smiled. ¡°You actually do like something about me?¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t stop and keep your hand to yourself, I might shave your head clean and step my foot on your dick to test your theory.¡± ¡°How can you can be pretty brutal but still look hot?¡± My hand travels up, running circles on the smooth skin of her inner thigh. ¡°Calm your horses, Gabriel. You need to heal before you can do some vigorous activities.¡± ¡°I can just lie down, and you do the rest.¡± Her eyes squinted. ¡°No. I¡¯m not gonna risk your healing process. You have broken bones. Even a guy as tough as you, his body has limits.¡± She was right. She scanned my chest, filled with bruises, and both sides of my abdomen. Every time she saw them, pain crossed her eyes. She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve had worse.¡± She continued trimming my other cheek down to my jaw. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, baby.¡± I took the razor from her when I couldn¡¯t stand the hurt in her eyes anymore. ¡°Thank you.¡± *** I moaned. I thought I moaned in my dream. I felt a soft hand trailing down my abdomen and those fingers running through my abs. ¡°Fuck.¡± I let go a shaky breath in delight when those fingers wrapped around my cock and began stroking it. ¡°I¡¯m testing your theory.¡± Her voice was filled with humor. ¡°So far, so good.¡± I chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not dead yet?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He didn¡¯t get a number on it. I didn¡¯t see blue balls, either. I mean, literally blue balls while you were in the tub.¡± She put a little pressure on it and kept stroking my growing cock. ¡°Thank fuck.¡± ¡°Faster?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I raised my hand to her face, and she was smiling. ¡°I wanna kiss you.¡± ¡°No, tiger. Just lie down and behave. Isn¡¯t that what you said earlier? I¡¯ll do the rest?¡± She threw the duvet away. ¡°Spread your legs.¡± ¡°Baby.¡± ¡°Do it,¡± my wife just gave me an order, and it was fucking hot. I groaned and did as she said. ¡°I¡¯m the boss, remember?¡± ¡°Yes, you are.¡± The anticipation was killing me. My cock just jerked in her hand. ¡°Then stop whining.¡± When I felt her settle between my legs, I lifted my head. Fuck. It was hot as she bowed down and licked her lips in anticipation. She darted her tongue out, and I didn¡¯t know she was watching me the entire time. When she ran her tongue on my tip, I gasped. My dick grew harder in her grasp. ¡°I think you¡¯re fine. You taste the same. Are you sure no one touched what¡¯s mine while you¡¯re away?¡± ¡°I swear I never even thought-¡± ¡°Good.¡± Without warning, she captured my dick with her hot mouth, and jacked me with her hand at the base while she sucked me. Her mouth was so fucking soft. ¡°Fuck.¡± It felt good. And she was fucking hot going down on me. I threw my head back. A primal groan escaped my throat that sounded like gargling. She did good, sucking and swirling her demanding talented tongue around my shaft between bobbing up and down. She did it alternately. When my spine began tingling, I dove my fingers into her hair, grabbed a fistful, held it tight, and guided her down. I slid my cock in and out into her mouth. Her cheeks hollowed. ¡°It feels fucking good, baby.¡± I rocked my hips up enough not to gag her. With teary eyes, she looked at me with approval. She let me take control. ¡°Fuck. You¡¯re a pro.¡± I got a moan from her as she gripped me tight and sucked me deep, and then withdrew me slowly. ¡°Fuck my mouth.¡± Her words made me dizzy. Her mouth opened, her eyes begging. Her free hand came to my hip. That¡¯s it.I plunged all the way in and did it with a few pumps. ¡°I don¡¯t wannae in your mouth. I¡¯m close.¡± I rushed my words out as my groin tightened. Her fingers flexed, digging into my skin, pushing herself to the limit, taking all my cock in. I lifted her head, freeing my cock. It came out of her mouth. She groaned in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m not done. Sit on my face.¡± In her teary eyes, she stared at me. ¡°I won¡¯te if you won¡¯t sit on my face.¡± That was it. She didn¡¯t think twice. She took off her thin lingerie and came to sit on my face. Her hands gripped the headboard, my hand on her ass and the other around my cock. I could multitask. It was not a problem. I began licking her already wet pussy. She made a deep sound of satisfaction. And then I sucked her fold, flicking my tongue around her clit, and she started rocking her hips forward, dancing to her pleasure. When I felt her close, her juices all around my face, I pumped hard and fast and sucked her hard with a groan. The vibration sent to her clit, causing her to shudder as her orgasm came fast. Drinking her down, I came in seconds. Chapter 63 ESTELLE The guys never left the house. Rome called all the way from Guardion to check on his best friend. Striker, Cenric, and Beck just arrived. I wasn¡¯t even aware that Sax just called everyone on his list. The house was filled with testosterone, but everyone was happy. That was all that mattered. ¡°How¡¯s our boy?¡± Moses might have noticed that I stayed at the corner while I enjoyed watching the guys share their funny stories. ¡°Aside from broken ribs and bruises, I think he¡¯ll live. He barely told me what happened, other than the other who punched him. What do you think?¡± ¡°Gabe wouldn¡¯t stop looking for Jasper anyway. At least, he found the answer he¡¯d been looking for.¡± ¡°Did he tell you anything?¡± ¡°I picked him up from the private airport when I received a call from an associate. I took him to the hospital for a checkup, but the doctor cleared him. All he needs is painkillers and rest, but all he did wasin and wanted to go home.¡± ¡°Thank you for being there when he needs you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s more like being always there all the time when I need him.¡± ¡°He looks up to you. I notice how he looks at you. He sees you as his second father.¡± ¡°He¡¯s like my second son, Estelle. I will do anything for him.¡± I smiled. My heart warmed. ¡°Just make sure not to allow him to see the Titanic.¡± Moses chuckled. ¡°I think he¡¯ll stay away from trouble for a while. He will focus on you and raising a family. I¡¯m happy he found you, Estelle. He will stop working too hard.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He¡¯s a stubborn man.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s stubborn?¡± I didn¡¯t even see himing over to us. ¡°Hey, boss. You¡¯re not drinking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m meeting someer.¡± ¡°A date?¡± ¡°Yeah, a sixty-year-old official is my date tonight.¡± ¡°Oh. Do you need an extra detail?¡± When I met Moses¡¯ gaze, I shrugged. ¡°I told you.¡± ¡°You stay at home, Gabe. Don¡¯t be stubborn. You¡¯ve worried us already. At least heal properly before you go back to work. That¡¯s an order.¡± ¡°I still have to hire someone as my COO now that Jasper¡¯s seat is vacant.¡± Linden looked at me and then at Moses. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I can¡¯t help you with that.¡± ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is I¡¯m asking permission to check the office on Monday.¡± ¡°No!¡± Moses and I said in unison. ¡°Just a visit, baby.¡± ¡°I have to go. Call me if you need anything. You can handle him, right?¡± Moses specifically looked at me, then at Linden. ¡°For once, listen to your wife.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you foring.¡± When he left, Striker and Cenric came. ¡°Hey, C. Tell Sadie Jasper loves her very much,¡± Linden whispered to Cenric, but enough for me to hear. ¡°Will do. Thanks, bro.¡± Cenric patted his back with a nod. ¡°How¡¯s the baby?¡± Striker asked me. ¡°Good. Thanks for being here for him.¡± ¡°He has my six all the time. He and Beck,¡± Cenric said. ¡°How¡¯s London?¡± ¡°Stubborn. Working at home.¡± ¡°I know just a person,¡± I told Striker, causing him tough. ¡°You¡¯re about to find out the real Gabe Linden.¡± When Striker turned to Linden, my husband was already ring at him. ¡°He¡¯s a piece of work.¡± ¡°Thest time I checked, you¡¯re the piece of work. When I told you to stay put, you did the opposite. So as this guy.¡± He pointed his thumb at Cenric. ¡°Remember, Beck?¡± he called Beck, which caught his attention. ¡°These two are a pain in my ass.¡± ¡°Our asses, you mean?¡± Beck joined us. ¡°Remember when Sadie kicked him out of the hotel room?¡± Linden high-fived Beck while Striker and I watched them. They had the longest working partnership together. Amused, Cenric just shook his head. ¡°No. The worse part was when he followed his wife like a fucking stalker with his awful disguise,¡± Beck added. ¡°Wait. I remember something. Rome and Princess Carlott told me something at Zee¡¯s wedding,¡± Striker said. His eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, no. Don¡¯t. Cade,¡± Suddenly, Linden warned Striker from sharing something. ¡°Oh. That¡¯s interesting. What is it all about, Striker?¡± I asked him. Striker grinned. ¡°Payback is a bitch, Linden. They wanted to set him up with a Caprian architect, something like his type.¡± ¡°What is your type, Linden?¡± My question made the guysugh. Squinting my eyes dramatically, I just called him Linden. ¡°You¡¯re dead, man. Choose your answer carefully,¡± Cenric said. ¡°When women said they don¡¯t get jealous, they actually are. Very jealous and dangerous.¡± ¡°Oh, I know my wife gets jealous.¡± He ced his hand on my knee. ¡°You did not answer her question,¡± Striker insisted. ¡°Shut up, Cade.¡± ¡°What happened, Striker?¡± I asked him directly. ¡°He couldn¡¯t leave the Firm. So they didn¡¯t meet.¡± ¡°My fate isn¡¯t there. That¡¯s the fact.¡± ¡°And here I thought you¡¯re a manwhore.¡± Sax pped Linden¡¯s back. ¡°Whoa!¡± Striker reacted. ¡°Easy. He may have broken ribs, but his legs are not. Careful, or he will knock you down in an instant.¡± ¡°Linden, find me when you¡¯re free.¡± Kye just came by and left the living. ¡°Is Kye okay?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± One word, but his eyes followed Kye¡¯s back. ¡°Let me guess. You two have a secret meeting.¡± ¡°If ever, I will tell you after that. I promise.¡± ¡°Wait. I remember Princess Carlott said something about two more to go.¡± ¡°Oh. They call them the three musketeers.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. Iughed. ¡°Yeah, right. You must be Aramis.¡± Everyone agreed with me except, of course, Linden. ¡°That was ancient history. Nobody noticed that I stopped being a manwhore.¡± They left except Sax. Lynx, Qamar, and Quinn were in the control room, whatever they were doing there. ¡°I¡¯ll check what Kye wants with me.¡± Linden kissed me before he stood up. Then Sax sat next to me. ¡°Did he say something?¡± ¡°About what?¡± I turned my head to him. ¡°Did he find Jasper?¡± ¡°Yeah. Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡± ¡°Linden never keeps secrets from us regarding mission, but this one is personal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he will tell if you ask. He¡¯s your boss, buddy, best friend, and brother. Ask him because he didn¡¯t tell me enough. I suppose he wanted to protect me because when I saw his bruises, I couldn¡¯t breathe. It hurt. He¡¯s still healing but wants to start working again, which worries me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s him. That¡¯s the man you married. You can¡¯t change him.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I love the man I married, being a workaholic, intolerable overprotective, loyal, even he¡¯s domineering and unapologetic, and honesty, I love that about him.¡± ¡°So, you love him, huh?¡± He smiled. ¡°Yeah. I realized when he was out there. It was hard to breathe without him and not knowing if he was okay or hurt.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± ¡°He fought with a man. And he said he met Jasper briefly, but he¡¯s good. The rest, I didn¡¯t pry, and I better not know after what he¡¯s been through. I don¡¯t want to relive that moment.¡± ¡°He¡¯s tough. I know without a doubt, he¡¯lle back.¡± ¡°Thanks for not giving up on him.¡± ¡°He never gave up on us. He¡¯s that kind of man. Once he¡¯smitted, he never gives up.¡± ¡°So do you, Sax. So, how¡¯s yourdy friend?¡± ¡°Lady friend?¡± ¡°Hope.¡± I beamed as I watched his reaction, trying hard not to be obvious with his feelings. ¡°Oh, Padi. Nah. She¡¯s a badass.¡± ¡°And? You¡¯re afraid that he¡¯s more badass than you?¡± ¡°Kinda. She¡¯s scary, Estelle.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You? Scared of Hope? Well, that¡¯s a first.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a first to everything.¡± ¡°Why Kye wants to talk to Gabriel?¡± ¡°No idea. Probably about the assignment?¡± ¡°What assignment?¡± ¡°He asked Kye to check on someone.¡± There was a hesitation in his voice. ¡°Do you know who?¡± ¡°Ask him, Estelle.¡± ¡°Is it my father?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You just said that you don¡¯t keep secrets regarding missions. Is this personal?¡± ¡°Oh, boy.¡± He breathed exaggeratedly. ¡°He wants to know about his ex?¡± ¡°His ex, huh?¡± I couldn¡¯t ignore the pang in my chest. ¡°Why would he wanna know about his ex?¡± ¡°You should ask him that. Linden would never keep a secret from you.¡± ¡°He actually just did.¡± Chapter 64 LINDEN ¡°Why do you wanna talk to me alone?¡± ¡°About what you asked Sax to do.¡± He took something from his jacket. It was an envelope. ¡°Sorry, I just made the copy to be discreet. The original is at Osmium.¡± ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary, or I just missed something. She works in an expert marketing service, just like everyone, she came and left. She has a kid, a boy. Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s not yours. He¡¯s mixed.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not mine. I was on tour. When I came back, she was pregnant. What do you mean by mixed?¡± ¡°A ck father, I guess.¡± A ck? But Miles is white.¡°What else? Did she meet someone or go somewhere after work?¡± ¡°Looks like the boy¡¯s father is not in the picture anymore. No child support. She¡¯d dated a man two years ago and worked different jobs within that span, marketing-rted. She frequently moved every few months, though, and just moved in two months ago and lived with her son alone in an apartment, with little savings in her bank ount that she hadn¡¯t touched for months. I couldn¡¯t find the birth record of the boy. She met a guy once this week, a marketing strategist. It¡¯s pretty ordinary.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I looked at the envelope. ¡°I guess it was just a coincidence.¡± ¡±I haven¡¯t checked her on any criminal database. If you have doubts, I can dig deeper.¡± ¡°No need. You¡¯ve got it all covered. And I need you at work.¡± ¡°What happened back there? You pretty much dodged all our questions, yet you came back beaten up.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t discuss it with all of you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± His brows were drawn together. ¡°Because it¡¯s dangerous? What else we haven¡¯t encountered isn¡¯t dangerous? It¡¯s part of our job, man.¡± ¡°Not this one, and trust me. This is for everyone¡¯s good.¡± ¡°You know we won¡¯t let you carry that burden alone. If you need our help, we won¡¯t hesitate, you know that. We can protect you. It¡¯s not about because you¡¯re the boss but as our brother.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s over now. Case closed.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± Kye wasn¡¯t happy with my decision, but he respected me. I went to my office to check the report he gave. She was a good tenant despite having pretty tight savings. I didn¡¯t see any deposits from another ount. My guess is the guy never gave his child support. What a dick. My chest was still killing me. I popped a tablet into my mouth and left the office. Lynx and Sax were the only guys left in the living. The rest had retreated. It was still ten in the evening, but I was already exhausted. ¡°Guys,I¡¯m beat. Let¡¯s call it a night.¡± ¡°Good. Finally, ites to your senses.¡± Lynx got up. ¡°I¡¯ll be with the guys, mate. Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Sax didn¡¯t move from the couch. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m in trouble.¡± He looked guilty. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°Your missus asked me about why Kye wanted to talk to you.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I told her since she insisted. And after that, her mood changed. I think she¡¯s mad and not at me.¡± ¡°Fuck you. If she won¡¯t talk to me tonight. I will deduct half of your sry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfair, man. I work hard, and you just told me to read about investments. I finally found an idea of where to put my money. I need that in full.¡± With my jaw locked, I pointed my finger at him. ¡°Next time, you keep your mouth shut, asshole.¡± ¡°Copy that.¡± Dismayed, I shook my head before I left. ¡°So, am I gonna get my money in full?¡± ¡°It depends on how my night goes.¡± I heard him say shit. Estelle wasn¡¯t in our room not in the bathroom either. I went to the lounge. I had already put a monochromatic desk and chair near the window as her office in the corner. It had a pretty good view of the backyard. She was there working on herptop and knew I hade in but didn¡¯t even look at me. ¡°You¡¯re workingte.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± One word, but it felt like she stabbed me in the heart. ¡°Can¡¯t it wait until Monday? I¡¯m pretty banged up, you know. I wanna go to bed.¡± That was it. She turned her head to me. ¡°You don¡¯t see I¡¯m carrying the bed, Gabriel.¡± That cracked me up. She was really pissed. ¡°I know why you¡¯re upset.¡± ¡°Well, shit. Really? Why?¡± ¡°Stop saying shit and fuck. I don¡¯t want people to think you learned that from me. And it doesn¡¯t suit you, baby.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a good guy, everyone¡¯s hero. You don¡¯t mind in bed, though.¡± I knew where this was going. I sighed. ¡°I did that after I found out that there¡¯s a bigger fish involved. I hadn¡¯t seen her in years, and all of a sudden, she almost ran me over. Then again, at the party. I went to that party every year and didn¡¯t bump into her. I thought someone was ying a game. So I asked Sax, but he got busy and put Kye in charge.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Thanks, but why tell me now? I didn¡¯t ask,¡± she said with disinterest. ¡°Because you¡¯re my wife. We don¡¯t keep secrets.¡± ¡°Yet everyone was asking me about what happened back there. And I couldn¡¯t answer them because you told me nothing. I also wanna know, and you have to keep me in the loop when your life is involved Gabriel, but you clearly don¡¯t trust me enough with that kind of information because I am young and incapable of withholding such secrets.¡± ¡°Whoa. Where did thate from?¡± I went close to her. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the issue?¡± She red at me, chin tipped up. I pressed my finger at the line between her eyebrows. ¡°I trust you with my life, my secrets, my love. But I signed an NDA to protect someone and our family. Don¡¯t tell me our age difference has suddenly be an issue to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always thest person to know.¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to burden you with information that doesn¡¯t involve you. I want to protect you from my line of work. All I want you to do is enjoy life, do what you¡¯re passionate about, and have fun with Wi, Micah, and the girls. Not thisplicated job I have.¡± ¡°Why do you wanna know about your ex?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re jealous of my ex? She¡¯s my ex for a thousand reasons, Estelle.¡± ¡°Just answer the damn question!¡± Good lord. If looks could kill, I died this instant. ¡°I wanted to figure out if she¡¯s involved with what¡¯s going on. I don¡¯t trust her. I didn¡¯t trust our meeting twice a week was a coincidence, so I asked Sax to dig into her life. Kye found nothing unusual.¡± She didn¡¯t ask questions anymore but kept working on herptop. My answer didn¡¯t convince her. I didn¡¯t know what to do. Thest thing I wanted was to let her sleep angry at something or let this issue remain unsolved because we didn¡¯t fight over it. ¡°After Greece, I was drugged and found myself in an underground fight club. Moses must have predicted that could happen. I read a few files of my possible opponent before you left for Paris. I fought a man bigger and taller than me, but I beat him up. I got drugged again when I was about to snap his neck.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me.¡± I ignored her protest. ¡°I found myself treated in the hospital. There, I woke up, and the first person I saw was Jasper. He was good. I only had a few minutes to talk with him. He congratted me. He knew what happened to everyone back here. I didn¡¯t see him again after that. I was released from the hospital and sent to a private airport outside the Russian border.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me now when you just told me that you signed an NDA?¡± I bent down before her, held her hand, and kissed it. ¡°Because no matter what, I will always choose you over anything, over anyone. You and our child are what matters to me. Do you understand me?¡± ¡°Can you get up now?¡± I did as she asked. ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed.¡± This time, she didn¡¯t protest. She shut herptop and took my hand. Once we were in bed, she turned to my side and ced her hand on my chest. ¡°When I was in the private jet, I met a woman. Hanslo told me the truth, but it did note from him. It came from Jasper. He knew you were pregnant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to keep secret in your line of work,¡± she admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t do background checks for fun. Digging into someone¡¯s life is invading privacy.¡± ¡°So, where¡¯s Jasper now?¡± ¡°He epted the offer from the Agency with the condition of early parole for Hanslo.¡± ¡°Wait, The Agency, the agency?¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Cool. I thought he had no parole.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the deal, and the agency can make it possible, considering his intel is valuable.¡± ¡°So, Jasper is a spy.¡± I shrugged. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear that from me.¡± ¡°And he¡¯s there with those God-awful people to spy on them?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just pray for his safety, and his cover will not be blown.¡± ¡°Amen.¡± When she went silent, I looked at her. She was staring at me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right. That¡¯s awful to have this kind of secret.¡± ¡°I told you, baby.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you have to tell me.¡± I took her hand and nted it to my lips. ¡°Forget about what I told you because you can¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°His secret is safe with us. Let¡¯s get some sleep.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Heal, then you can do whatever you want,¡± she said with a grunt. ¡°To you?¡± I smirked. Her eyes widened. ¡°What else you haven¡¯t done to me, huh?¡± ¡°A whole lot, baby. I can¡¯t wait.¡± ¡°Then maybe you just have to wait until I give birth.¡± ¡°Good idea. When is our next appointment?¡± ¡°Just shut up and sleep.¡± ¡°Good night, my love.¡± She just answered me with a hum. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, though.¡± ¡°Gabriel.¡± ¡°Really. I¡¯m starving.¡± I let my hand glide to her thigh.¡°Your skin feels way too soft, baby.¡± ¡°No touching,¡± she protested, taking my hand off her. ¡°You can touch me anytime.¡± ¡°Sleep, or I will sleep in the other room.¡± Chapter 65 ESTELLE ¡°So you married that man.¡± My father didn¡¯t even take a seat, but I was surprised he came to my office instead of shouting through the phone. Thest time he was here, he wanted to take the seat from me by force. ¡°He has a name, Dad.¡± ¡°I know who he is.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± Oddly, I didn¡¯t even care, no matter how many ounces of anger he had in his words. ¡°What you know is what you want to know. That¡¯s biased, Dad. Give him a chance. And I¡¯m pregnant.¡± He snapped his head. Anger and disgust stered all over his face. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Let me guess, his?¡± ¡°I love him. And, of course, he¡¯s the father. And he wants this child, too.¡± ¡°Of course, he wants. That¡¯s what he wants, to take control of you. He always wants to be the good guy. He steps up to that ce when things go wrong and wants to be your hero.¡± ¡°You get all wrong, Dad. He¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that? He came to the rescue when you were on that ind. He pretended to save yourpany when he did all the esction to let the stockholders panic selling. Then he came buying my share and Tyrion by using Striker Cade. Do you think that¡¯s not his n all along? Do you think I didn¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°He saved mypany from Tyrion taking hold of it. He saved my seat and prevented yton from marrying me and taking control of Star LLC. But that¡¯s what you want to happen because I wasn¡¯t the boy you wanted. And it¡¯s my fault that I have a girl part than a boy.¡± ¡°At least you¡¯re not stupid marrying him without signing the tight prenup, are you?¡± I looked away and swallowed. Ipletely forgot about a prenup. ¡°Oh, no.¡± His anger-fueled voice still buzzed in my air. I could hear the huge disappointment in his voice. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the stupidest, ignorant, and naive I¡¯ve ever known? You just lost all your money, your assets, and everything I worked hard for! For what? For an opportunist boy like him? You are clearly out of your mind, Estelle. What did he feed you that you¡¯re acting so stupid like this?¡± I took a deep breath and briefly closed my eyes before I rose from my chair. ¡°First, don¡¯t call me stupid. And don¡¯t call my husband an opportunist. Yeah, I¡¯m still young and have a lot to learn, but don¡¯t ever call me ignorant. Second, what do you mean by you work hard for? Who do you think you used the name to apply for your fancy golf club? Whatpany do you sell to have friends? Now that you¡¯re not the shareholder, does Tyrion still talk to you? Or he left you because you don¡¯t have Star LLC at your grasp anymore.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± I didn¡¯t, and I wouldn¡¯t. ¡°You didn¡¯t believe in my passion, remember? So you sold me to Weston instead. Now, I¡¯m finally free from you and Tyrion¡¯s tyranny, and I am still the bad guy? Yeah, maybe the prenup agreement slipped my mind, but I will prove to you that my husband is not after my money. In fact, he has his own, and Osmium is at the top of the game. Now if you have nothing good to say, leave this office and never return until you learn your ce. And I swear to you, Star LLC will be bigger than your CTEC.¡± I sat back down. My nerves were still everywhere, out of control. I was done with his bullshit. I would not let him belittle me whenever he felt like it. He may be my father, but I deserved respect. If he could not give that to me, I didn¡¯t need his toxic masculinity in my life. He didn¡¯t say a word but left my office. I let go of a shaky breath before I picked up the phone when it didn¡¯t stop ringing. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Mrs. Linden.¡± That was Lynx. He sounded breathless. ¡°Would it be terrible if you called me Estelle?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am, but this is an emergency call. Boss is rushed to the hospital.¡± ¡°What? Why? What happened?¡± I was already standing, bracing my hand against my desk. ¡°Q will be in your office in a moment to take you to the hospital.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°What happened, Lynx?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m driving to the hospital at this moment.¡± ¡°Then who¡¯s with him?¡± ¡°A friend.¡± ¡°A friend? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be with him?¡± When Qamar came inside, I told Lynx, ¡°Don¡¯t answer that. I will ask youter.¡± The ride to the hospital was still puzzling me. I was getting anxious and worried at the same time. I didn¡¯t have much of a clue. My guess was his chest. Linden was being him, never listened, and thought he could have a bullfight with death. When I told him to rest, he took a shower and wore his suit instead. I guessed we both were stubborn people. Lynx was already there when we arrived. ¡°He¡¯s in the emergency.¡± ¡°What¡¯s his status?¡± Qamar asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, mate. He just coughed, and suddenly he couldn¡¯t breathe.¡± ¡°What?¡± Suddenly, I couldn¡¯t breathe. I was terrified. ¡°No. No, Estelle. Breathe. You can¡¯t do this right now.¡± He held me and shook me. ¡°Let me go. I wanna see my husband.¡± I walked past them even if I felt disoriented, and with the sounds and rms buzzing in my ears, I was like walking in slow motion. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± I could barely hear Lynx. I lid the curtain open. ¡°You can¡¯t be here, ma¡¯am,¡± The woman in a scrub suit told me. ¡°I wanna see my husband.¡± She looked at me as if I was crazy. ¡°You¡¯re probably in the wrong bed.¡± I looked at the bed and saw Linden with a mask on, chest exposed, and attached with probes. Even if they covered his head, I knew it was my husband. ¡°That¡¯s my husband. Gabriel Rembrandt Linden.¡± ¡°Your husband has two wives.¡± The nurse with a name tag, Dannie¡¯s mockery pissed me off. ¡°I¡¯m his only wife. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Then who is she? Who came with the patient? She said she¡¯s the wife.¡± I froze in my ce to see who was beside Linden. I stared at her for seconds and couldn¡¯t say anything. I couldn¡¯t even tell her to get the fuck away from my husband. What I felt right now was probably what Linden was feeling. I felt my chest was shattered, and I couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°What proof do you want?¡± I showed my ring. ¡°Sk?¡± Finally, that bitch looked at me. ¡°Sk, right? You can stop pretending now and stay away from my husband.¡± ¡°I was not pretending. I just wanna help Gabe.¡± Her voice was tremulous and unsure. ¡°Why are you even with Gabriel? What do you want from him?¡± ¡°Look,dies. Whatever is going on that is not our business. Our concern is this patient. You can get out of this room and let us do our job. You can settle your issue outside this hospital. Right now, the patient doesn¡¯t need both of you but his doctors.¡± ¡°Is he gonna be okay?¡± ¡°A portion of his right lung copsed due to his previous injury. We need to insert the needle to remove the excess air. We¡¯ll update you after we¡¯re done with the procedure.¡± ¡°Thank you, doctor. Please, do whatever you can. I don¡¯t care how much it costs.¡± I went to Linden¡¯s side once that bitch left. I held his hand, but maybe they put him under sedation or strong painkillers. ¡°Hey, baby. I¡¯m here. Just stay strong because you still have to pay for this.¡± I left the room and found Lynx and his men in the waiting room. ¡°What did they say?¡± Lynx asked first. ¡°You and I need to talk.¡± I looked at Lynx before I talked to everyone. I guessed we were sharing the same emotions today. They all looked under-stressed. ¡°He has partial lung copse on the right side. The doctor said they will insert the needle to remove the air.¡± ¡°He¡¯s gonna be okay, right?¡± Qamar asked. I saw Sk walking away. ¡°Wait.¡± I walked away from them, even if they were still calling my name. I caught Sk outside the hospital. ¡°Sk?¡± She didn¡¯t stop or pretend not to hear me. ¡°Sk, will you stop?¡± She did. So she heard me the first time I called her. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Why did you pretend to be his wife?¡± My heart was still ached. Honestly, I was mad at her, but I wanted to know her intention. ¡°I just wanted to help, and I wanna be with him.¡± If I could read her right now, I thought she still had feelings for my husband. ¡°Why are you with him when he-¡± ¡°Would you rather wish I wasn¡¯t?¡± ¡°He has an assistant. He could call for help or hit his panic button. What do you want with Gabriel?¡± I insisted. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know he was dating someone or married.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I was getting pissed the longer I talked to her. She showed no guilt. ¡°He loved me.¡± ¡°But you broke his heart. You slept with another man.¡± ¡°Is that what he told you?¡± she replied with a frown. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth? I maybe believe that he loved you once, and you loved him, but it wasn¡¯t enough for you to be faithful.¡± ¡°I was sexually assaulted.¡± A gasp escaped my lips. My eyes widened in horror. ¡°I still love Gabe, but as friends, as an ex-boyfriend. I wanted to tell him what happened, but my mother didn¡¯t trust me. So I just let everyone know that someone knocked me up, which may be less painful to him.¡± I didn¡¯t know I cried until it tickled my jaw. I wiped it away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Of course you are. You¡¯re rich, and you¡¯d never experienced what I did.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what he knew. He¡¯s mad at you for breaking his heart. You can¡¯t keep him believing in that lie. You need to tell him. It¡¯s for his closure and yours, and I promise you, I will do everything I can to help you catch that man.¡± ¡°Why do you think I went to see him?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll work together.¡± I took a step close to her and held her hand. ¡°Please?¡± Chapter 66 LINDEN I remembered I was in the office, talking to Sk. Her visit surprised me, but I was hoping I could speak to her after what I found out. But unfortunately, we didn¡¯t get to that point. When I struggled to breathe, she asked for help, and I managed to hold her hand. And I still remember hering with me in the ambnce. The rest, everything was a blur. I thought I was dreaming, but I felt the pain like I got run over by a roller. I thought I was going to die. I couldn¡¯t breathe. The feeling when you drowned- the water entered your lungs and expanded your chest. The next thing you knew, you wished you could have a minute to be with your loved ones and felt sorry for how I took them for granted. I thought I was dead. Until the richugh of my wife reached my ear. I opened my eyes, feeling disoriented, but I was lying at a forty-five-degree angle, and I could sense Estelle was sitting close to me. Her sweet and alluring smell hit my nostrils, her hand holding mine. ¡°No way. What is he like?¡± ¡°He¡¯s such a sweet boy. Even when he was days old, he didn¡¯t give me a hard time. He¡¯s really a blessing, you know. Being a single mom and all.¡± I thought it was Sk. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like phones or gadgets like most kids these days. He ys some games, but he¡¯s drawn to sports like ser and softball.¡± ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Emery. It¡¯s my-¡± ¡°Her grandpa.¡± My voice was low and husky. I squeezed Estelle¡¯s hand, and she seemed to freeze. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± One moment, she was sitting. The next thing she was on her feet, looking down on me with those big blue eyes filled with gratitude. ¡°Baby? You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Kind of not hard to when all I could hear is yourugh.¡± ¡°Oh, my God. I¡¯m sorry. Yeah, I forgot for a moment I was in the hospital, and you.¡± She pinched my arm. ¡°You¡¯re gonna give me a heart attack.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Let me call the doctor,¡± Sk volunteered. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll press the nurse button, too.¡± I searched for the call button and pressed it. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Her smile made me already feel better, and she kissed me on my forehead. ¡°You made us all worried, Gabriel. Maybe this time you learn to listen to the doctor¡¯s advice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I lifted my hand and traced her cheek. ¡°Stop apologizing. Just get well. No work. No office. No staying overnight. Did you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± I smiled. ¡°Thanks for not making it awkward.¡± ¡°Oh, it was.¡± She grinned sheepishly. ¡°I was quite harsh earlier. But I¡¯ll tell you everything soon. Okay?¡± ¡°Thanks. You already made me a lot better.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°No, Gabriel Linden. You will stay put.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°How are you feeling, Mr. Linden?¡± The doctor arrived, adjusting my bed. ¡°Because my wife is around, I¡¯m not going to lie. I feel terrible and sick.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky. You only get a partial copse lung called Pneumothorax?¡± ¡°What? The Lorax.¡± I heard my wife groan, making me chuckle. ¡°So, how am I?¡± ¡°We inserted a needle and connected it to the chest tube to remove the extra air.¡± Hence the difort when I moved. Now, I felt like I was being skewered alive. ¡°We talked to your wife. She suggested that you could stay here until we removed the chest tube. Although you can take it home and have a medical doctor check it once in a while.¡± The doctor came closer to check my chest and my back. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°You will stay, Gabriel, until they remove it and until your lung is healed.¡± ¡°Your difort and pain you felt, that was a small pneumothorax. Maybe you should refrain frombat sports. I saw your bruises. Your broken ribs are what caused you to be here in the hospital. The rest of you¡¯re blood works are excellent.¡± ¡°How many days should I stay?¡± ¡°Going somewhere?¡± Estelle asked, brow cocking. The sarcasm in her voice made the doctor smile. Clearly, she was unimpressed. ¡°See that tube attached to you?¡± ¡°No, my love.¡± I linked my hand fingers with hers and kissed her hand. ¡°Do you feel any pain? Rate it from one to ten?¡± ¡°Five.¡± ¡°Good. I will not give you another painkiller. Just when you need it.¡± ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡± Once the doctor was gone, Estelle sat back in her chair, but Sk remained standing. ¡°Thank you for being here with her.¡± ¡°No problem. I can drop by tomorrow,¡± Sk said. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stay. Unlike you, I¡¯m an employee and need to pick up my son from school.¡± She looked at my wife. ¡°Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Thanks. And what we talked about earlier. Don¡¯t worry. I got it.¡± ¡°What did you two talk about?¡± I inquired, suddenly curious. ¡°Not now, Gabriel.¡± She then shifted to Skyle. ¡°I¡¯ll call Qamar to send you home.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Sk said shyly. Watching her like they¡¯d known each other for a long time put me at ease. I was sure it was valid whatever changed in my wife¡¯s heart. ¡°Please?¡± ¡°My car is at Osmium.¡± ¡°Then give your key to Sax and your address.¡± ¡°It¡¯s on my GPS.¡± ¡°Great. Let me walk you out,¡± Estelle said excitedly. Sk looked at me. ¡°Behave and follow your wife¡¯s order. Understand?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my boss. She knows that.¡± I smiled, grateful. ¡°Good.¡± When they left, Lynx and Kye came in. ¡°For a moment, I thought I¡¯d have the chance to run Osmium. I was really hoping you were dead.¡± I rolled my eyes and shook my head in amusement. ¡°Not a fucking chance.¡± ¡°So, your wife and that woman?¡± Lynx asked. ¡°My ex, Sk. I don¡¯t know what happened, but they seemed to get along.¡± ¡°Yeah, I find that hard to believe when they were about to have a cockfight in the hospital.¡± Confused, I asked Kye, ¡°Why? What happened?¡± ¡°Sk pretended to be your wife, and thenter on, Estelle arrived. The doctors and a nurse got confused. Sk left the ER and walked away. Estelle followed. Momentster, they walked in together. Anyway, I¡¯m sure your wife will tell you. So, how¡¯s the feeling of having a near-death experience?¡± ¡°Not the first time.¡± ¡°Seriously, brother. You¡¯re putting Estelle under a lot of stress. It¡¯s about time you consider your priorities. I thought she was going to copse again. It¡¯s not healthy for her and the baby.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I swallowed the lump in my throat. ¡°This would be thest time I put her in that situation. I will get better and focus on the desk job.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I heard themotion. Lynx and Kye noticed that, too. ¡°Probably a celebrity,¡± Kye said. ¡°Let me check it out.¡± Lynx hadn¡¯t reached the door, and it already pushed wide from the outside. Chapter 67 LINDEN Moses walked in like the filthy rich he was. ¡°You know when to make a grand entrance, huh?¡± ¡°Oh, how I hate the hospital.¡± His eyes red with anger. ¡°And you¡¯re a stubborn son of Jaymes.¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a cat, and I still have six lives.¡± ¡°And it still has limits, son. If I were you, you take care of your health. You¡¯re a married man now. You have a wife and child to take care of.¡± I nodded in understanding. ¡°I know. Once I am out of here, I¡¯ll stay home until I fully heal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the best decision you ever made for a while. No more secret mission, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Yes, boss.¡± My father and Wi walked in. The look in their eyes was alone enough to break my heart again. ¡°I¡¯m fine, guys. Before you preach me.¡± I raised my hand. ¡°I swear I stay put, follow my wife and doctor¡¯s orders, and take care of myself.¡± ¡°I thought I won¡¯t be in the hospital again unless I visit my daughter-inw and see my first grandson. I¡¯m old, Gabe. I don¡¯t wanna die of a heart attack right now.¡± ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± I asked Wi when she seemed silent. ¡°What do you want me to say, brother? I wonder how your wife reacted to you being brought to the hospital.¡± ¡°I thought I would be lying in bed next to his,¡± my wife came back and replied. ¡°Are you okay, honey?¡± Dad asked. ¡°Better than him, I guess. Pops, is he always like this?¡± My jaw dropped when everyone started telling her how stubborn, overbearing, hard-headed, and pig-head I was. I rolled my eyes, which I rarely did. ¡°Well, thanks, guy. At least you know me very well.¡± After thirty minutes of agony, they left, except Estelle. I wanted to rest. I knew everyone cared for me and was concerned about my health. And they were right, though. I was that person, and I didn¡¯t know how to change, maybe when I became a father, because right now, Estelle is still considerate and supportive. ¡°Get some rest, okay?¡± She leaned to kiss me. ¡°You should go home and get some rest. You need that more than me.¡± I kissed her hand again. ¡°I will go home when you sleep.¡± ¡°Once you go home, soak in the bathtub. That would help. I¡¯m sorry if I can¡¯t be with you tonight and maybe tomorrow night and after.¡± I felt a pit in my stomach that she still stayed beside me after what I put her through. ¡°I want you to heal. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Estelle said as she ran her fingers through my hair. Her voice was soft and warm. ¡°Maybe you should not work.¡± ¡°I promise I know myself, and when I feel exhausted, I¡¯ll take a leave. I¡¯m good. Trust me. Our baby is not giving me a hard time yet. Unlike you.¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s good.¡± I pressed her hand on my cheek as I said, ¡°Thank you for being nice to Sk.¡± ¡°About that. I have something to tell you, but you need to rest first.¡± ¡°Now that you wanna tell me something, tell me, or I can¡¯t rest thinking it might be important.¡± ¡°Baby, please?¡± With her eyes pleading, I couldn¡¯t disappoint her even if my brain was reeling for whatever Sk told her. One thing I was sure, it had nothing to do with our past. Otherwise, Estelle wouldn¡¯t be looking keen on telling me. I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± I closed my eyes but didn¡¯t let go of her hand. ¡°I think I¡¯ve forgiven her. I don¡¯t know when, but when I saw her at Osmium, I didn¡¯t feel the anger and hate towards her anymore. Unlike before, I couldn¡¯t even listen to her name without filling my chest with rage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s not her fault.¡± I cracked my eyes open. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It may shock you, but please, promise me to calm down.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, Estelle?¡± I adjusted my bed so that I could meet my wife eye-to-eye. ¡°She didn¡¯t cheat on you.¡± I frowned. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? She was pregnant with another man¡¯s child.¡± ¡°Yeah, but not her intention.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± My chest tightened, and it wasn¡¯t the best feeling when the reason why I was here in the first ce. I took a deep breath when I felt difort. ¡°She told you she¡¯s pregnant. That¡¯s true. She wanted you to believe that because it hurt less.¡± She swallowed hard. She then blinked her eyes when they began to fill with tears. ¡°For years, she was alone, raising her son, Gabriel, the child -¡± I couldn¡¯t listen to it anymore. I looked away as my wife wiped her tears. I got it. I understood even if she didn¡¯t have to tell me the whole story. My knuckles cracked as I fisted my hands, hoping I could control my anger or the next thing I got was a heart attack. ¡°And Miles?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me the man¡¯s name.¡± I didn¡¯t know I cried until Estelle wiped my tears. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, and I won¡¯t stop you. I promised her that I would help her, and that¡¯s what we are going to do. I¡¯m sorry that she made you believe she cheated on you. I know it hurts, but we have to help her.¡± ¡°Why now?¡± I clenched my jaw hard. I should be over with it. Hell, I moved on. I was happy. I had a good life, a wife, and soon, I would be a father. But it seemed troubles kept following me everywhere. ¡°Baby, the trauma. It takes time to heal. Her son is the only reason she has to be okay, wake up in the morning, go to work, ande home to him.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s not lying?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll find out.¡± ¡°I need to know if she¡¯s in danger. I found out she¡¯s new in that apartment.¡± ¡°She went to your office to tell you and ask for your help.¡± ¡°Can you call Sax if he¡¯s still sending her car to her address? Ask him to check the apartment for unusual activity around the perimeter.¡± I pped my forehead after I realized that I wasn¡¯t over. ¡°Og, God. I¡¯m so sorry, baby.¡± ¡°Hey. She may be your ex but she is also the victim and deserves justice. Everyone does. Even if we don¡¯t know her, if shees asking for help, I won¡¯t hesitate.¡± ¡°God, I don¡¯t know what to do without.¡± I pulled her to me. I just needed that hug- her hug that put me at ease. Chapter 68 ESTELLE ¡°Wee home!¡± ¡°Jesus.¡± Linden startled. His eyes lit up to see everyone in our living room filled with balloons. ¡°You guys take this wee party to a whole new level.¡± ¡°This is how we show our love when you¡¯re alive. So you better take care of those lungs of yours. Otherwise, you will be alone on your deathbed.¡± Wi came to us to kiss his brother on his cheek. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°Well, thanks, sis. That¡¯s very kind of you. I love you, too.¡± ¡°This is for you, brother.¡± Sax was carrying a lung-shaped pink balloon and hugged him. ¡°When you have trouble with your balls, I got it covered with a ball-shaped balloon, too, brother.¡± ¡°Your dry humor never improved. Thanks for the effort,¡± he said, patting Sax¡¯s back. ¡°Easy there, Sax. And your bromance is getting a little bit too much, enough to make me gag.¡± Kye nudged him. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous. I¡¯m giving him attentiontely than you.¡± ¡°For Christ¡¯s sake.¡± Kye managed to shake his head, leaving Sax alone.N?velDrama.Org ? content. It was surprising Moses was not around, but Striker and London were there. ¡°How¡¯s the baby?¡± London and I kissed each other¡¯s cheek. ¡°I feel like he¡¯s too eager to see the world. How about you?¡± ¡°Excited, scared. Too scared, but I have him.¡± I tipped my chin at Linden, chatting with the guys. He may have felt my gaze on him, and he turned to smile. ¡°Wew. He¡¯s so head over heels with you.¡± London giggled. ¡°I always pushed him to go out there and find a woman, but he justughed. I¡¯m happy that he finally found the love of his life. He deserves it.¡± ¡°Really? I know he cares deeply, and I think he loves our baby, but he never said it, you know.¡± I shrugged. I wasn¡¯t expecting anything from him but his support. I knew I needed a lot of it when the baby arrived. ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to. These guys don¡¯t do much talking, but they just show it and make you feel love. Do you know how I meet Striker?¡± ¡°No.¡± I followed her to the couch and grabbed a non-alcoholic drink. ¡°Gabriel?¡± I called Linden when he grabbed a beer. ¡°Not for me, baby.¡± He showed me the bottle as he passed it on to Lynx. London leaned in and whispered, ¡°See? He loves you.¡± ¡°Tell me, how did you and Striker meet?¡± ¡°I met Linden and Striker together. I was kidnapped.¡± ¡°Oh, my God.¡± I quickly held her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. A powerful family in Italy tried to hurt my father through me. So Linden and his team, including Striker, came to rescue me. Linden, on the other hand, became my anchor. I didn¡¯t know him, but I felt I could trust him. It was one of the darkest moments in my life, and he was there for me. He helped me heal from that horrible incident. He became a constant in my life. That¡¯s why I would do anything for your husband.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± I was literally speechless. ¡°That¡¯s how I met Striker for the first time. We met briefly, but the effect on mested a lifetime. That¡¯s how I knew we had something unexinable. But that was all. We never met again.¡± ¡°Why?¡± My brows met together as I stared at her in disbelief. ¡°Not after two years. My father asked a favor if he could be my temporary bodyguard, but Dad had his own n. He set us up.¡± ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°It¡¯s sound romantic.¡± ¡°Since that rescue, I felt so attached to him even if he was far away, and we didn¡¯t see each other. I didn¡¯t know he felt the same.¡± ¡°Vanderford, we should go.¡± Striker came over, putting a hand on his wife¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just a sec. I was telling her how we met.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Striker blushed. He really did blush. ¡°You¡¯re cute when you blush.¡± Iughed. ¡°Did I?¡± He touched his cheek. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°My father wanted me to marry Striker. I didn¡¯t know he was Moses¡¯ son at that time. So, that¡¯s how we met.¡± ¡°So you did not tell her how you seduced me?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± London yfully pped her husband¡¯s arm. ¡°Was there really seducing involved? As far as I remember, you were too eager to get your hands all over me.¡± ¡°Okay, Vanderford. I think that¡¯s too much information. She doesn¡¯t need to know that.¡± Strikerughed with me. ¡°Forgive her manners, Estelle. She likes paying attention to every detail.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a designer, Striker. And she¡¯s awesome.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I love her so fucking much.¡± He averted his gaze to the guys, particrly at Linden. ¡°Take care of him. He can be overbearing sometimes, but I wouldn¡¯t be here without him. He always had my back, until now. And he can¡¯t help himself. He has to save everybody.¡± ¡°Yeah. That I know. Clearer than water.¡± ¡°What you both have is special. I hope you realize that Linden is out of this world, even in his annoying way. He will never give up on anyone. So, expect to grow old with him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n. And we take care of each other.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± He smiled. When Striker and London left, I watched the guys for a while, and I couldn¡¯t help but admire how tight they were. I never thought of dating someone who had a military background and history. I always thought I¡¯d go for a corporate employee or a sports enthusiast with a lessplicated job. As I watched them, I felt like what they¡¯d been through terrified me, and I admired their courage at the same time. I¡¯d seen the effect of them on TV and in movies. One thing I knew was that they were tough, and their experiences were why they appreciated life. *** ¡°Are you just gonna stare at me or kiss me?¡± He¡¯d been up all day. I wanted to let him rest, but I could hear his brain reeling. ¡°What¡¯s in that head of yours?¡± ¡°A lot.¡± ¡°Like?¡± ¡°Work, you and me, our baby. I¡¯m terrified, Estelle.¡± ¡°Terrified?¡± ¡°Earlier, when I was talking with the guys, the topic of fatherhood came into our conversation. I realized I was too excited about the thought of having a kid. It didn¡¯t ur to me if I could handle a father role. Yeah, Pops was great. He¡¯d sacrificed a lot for us. He provided everything he could, but I don¡¯t know if I could be like him. I have no idea what to do or what I am going to do. I have no clue, my love.¡± ¡°Do you think I do?¡± I chuckled. ¡°And I¡¯m not the kind of person who looks it up online. I have a mom, and she¡¯s great, too, and I know she would guide me, but I¡¯m also terrified like you. Maybe that¡¯s one of the reasons why I didn¡¯t tell you immediately. I was figuring it out myself. But we have each other right now.¡± ¡°Yeah. We do. We figure it out together.¡± He held my hand and pressed it against his lips. ¡°You won¡¯t ever give up on me. I¡¯m in the dark when ites to this-¡± ¡°We both are.¡± ¡°Yeah. But we¡¯re going to work it out, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Jesus.¡± He tried to hold hisugh, holding his chest. ¡°I think I should practice putting a diaper on a doll or something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still different because the baby kicks and moves, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Yeah. Is there a masterss for that?¡± Iughed. ¡°You should look for it online and enroll.¡± ¡°You¡¯reughing.¡± ¡°YouTube. Everything you wanna know is there, husband.¡± He smiled. ¡°Ready for tomorrow?¡± ¡°Excited and scared.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. If she¡¯s a girl, she will have her three bodyguards and no dating boys or girls or whatever she likes until she¡¯s thirty.¡± ¡°Wow. You have that figured out quicker than putting diapers, huh?¡± ¡°Yes. And she will go to an all-girls school.¡± ¡°How about sending her to a nunnery? Thirty is too old to be still a virgin.¡± I watched him cringe. ¡°Please don¡¯t talk to me about my child and virgin together.¡± ¡°Why? How old are you when you lost your virginity?¡± ¡°Baby, that¡¯s my kid. I am the father-¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m a cool mom than you. So if we have a boy, it¡¯s okay for you to have him explore his sexuality?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a boy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sexist, Gabriel.¡± I yfully pped his arm. ¡°Forgive me, my love, but I am overprotective of women.¡± ¡°I see that.¡± I pursed my lips. ¡°You sound disappointed?¡± He turned his head to me. ¡°Me? No. I just remembered what London told me earlier.¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°How you and Striker rescued her. How you stayed in her life despite your job was already over.¡± ¡°Yeah, and Cade ran away like a scare-dy cat because, at that time, London had just turned twenty-one, and Linus was rich. And I didn¡¯t know he was the son of Moses Braddson. He was scared to corrupt a vulnerable woman.¡± ¡°You saved me too, husband, and I think I haven¡¯t said thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worth saving, Estelle.¡± He inhaled deeply. ¡°So, are we just gonna talk?¡± ¡°You need to rest.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s boring.¡± He blew a breath and stared at the ceiling. I got what he meant. ¡°No, Gabriel. Not until you¡¯re fully healed.¡± ¡°And when is it gonna be? Do you still wanna fuck me if you already have a balloon in your tummy?¡± I hit him on the shoulder again. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°So my pregnancy is now your problem. Who knocked me up, by the way? Because I¡¯m sure as hell I didn¡¯t do it alone.¡± ¡°God, no. And, of course, I¡¯m d to knock you up again. I just want to have you. It won¡¯t be a problem. You¡¯ll be on top and ride me hard.¡± He groaned when he took my hand and put it on top of his bulge. ¡°He needs you. I need you.¡± ¡°Jeez.¡± I cupped his bulge and stroked it slowly against his boxer. ¡°The doctor didn¡¯t say we can¡¯t have sex. She said I should avoid certain activities that put extra pressure on my affected lung. Exercise is one.¡± ¡°Sex is one of them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll control my breathing.¡± He began breathing in and out. ¡°See? I¡¯m good.¡± I snorted. ¡°Wow. You can do that, huh? Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± ¡°No, baby. I¡¯m horny, and you smell good, and your hand feels so fucking good. You fuck me, or I will call Jake.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Fine, but in any circumstances, if you feel short of breath-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you.¡± I sat on the bed and blew a breath. ¡°You stubborn SOB.¡± I took my top off, and he already had his hands full. ¡°Fuck. Yeah. I loved these tits, by the way.¡± Chapter 69 LINDEN ¡°Are you okay?¡± I couldn¡¯t ignore the worry in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m better than okay. Now lean over. I need to kiss you.¡± Her lips barely brushed against mine, and I tilted my head to kiss her. Her mouth opened, and I deepened the kiss, delving my tongue in. ¡°God. Baby, I missed your taste.¡± I was hungry for her- starved. I controlled myself in the hospital for almost four days and couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I craved for her. I wanted more of her. At this moment, I had fewer options. I cupped her tits, putting a little pressure on my kneading. I instantly felt her wetness. Fuck yeah. She wanted me, too, eager and ready. When I pinched her nipples, she moaned into my mouth. My hands slid around her back down to her hips, my silent demand. She tore her mouth away, nting kisses on my jaw, down to the column of my neck. I shuddered, threading my fingers through her hair. She flicked her tongue on my nipple andved in circles, tormenting me a little. For now, the pressure on my cock began turning to pain. She kisses the bruises on the side of my abs. ¡°Baby, please. Put your pussy on my dick, or I will lose my mind.¡± She raised her head and groaned. ¡°You¡¯re impatient.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Silently, she positions her hips, raising a little. Her touch jolted me as she skimmed down my abdomen. I gasped and shuddered. My impulses warred. My heart thundered. As she reached between my legs, she gripped my cock, and did stroke twice before she positioned it in her entrance. I began panting in anticipation. ¡°Breath, or I will stop.¡± ¡°Your hand feels so good. And I¡¯m fucking throbbing hard, and you¡¯re wet. What do you expect? Will I turn into a stone? I can¡¯t control it.¡± She paused. ¡°And since when did you be talkative during sex.¡± ¡°I guess I am desperate that I¡¯m defending my value.¡± ¡°You¡¯re value or your ego?¡± She snorted. She found it funny when I was having a hard rock cock. ¡°I just want you, Estelle.¡± ¡°You said you can control it.¡± ¡°I guess I was wrong.¡± My mind lingered with doubts that I might end up with blue balls tonight. I frowned. ¡°So, am I gonna jack off, or you blow my mind?¡± ¡°Poor, baby.¡± She smiled wickedly, and I thought my dick pulsed against her grip. Her knees spread wide, brushing my cockhead to spread her wetness. And she hummed as it nudged her swollen clit before sitting on me. ¡°Fuck.¡± My word dragged out as she deliberately and slowly sank into me. My hands tightened around her hips as the weight of her on top buried my cock deeper. Her heat seeped into me. ¡°Damn, you feel so good, baby.¡± She leaned her palms on both sides of my head, her tits on my face. I was like the luckiest, having all my most precious gifts. I didn¡¯t know which to pick first. ¡°So good.¡± She pressed so tightly against my base, grinding as she could feel my cock throb and her clit pulse. I captured her nipple with my mouth, making her moan loud. She began rocking against me while I helped her bring her hips up and down so I could take her forceful and deep. She rocked my world. She was unstoppable, searching for her orgasm, giving me what I wanted and needed. Moans, groans, hums, skin pping. We were breathing hard. We were sweating. I was a little scared with my lung, but it was worth the pain. ¡°God, baby. I¡¯m going toe.¡± If my cock could swell any further, it might explode. I was so aroused my world spun. Each rock, she ground for friction. ¡°Fuck. Faster, baby.¡± My voice was rough and gravelly. Almost broken with desperate need. My hands were on her hips as I kept her steady and matched her rhythm, rocking her. With a touch of a little pressure of my thumb on her clit, her head fell back. Her spine stiffened, her body tense. She shuddered, dropping her body onto me as her orgasm flew through her. It hurt, but I couldn¡¯t care less. The raw, familiar feeling submerged as my orgasm shocked me, growling against her neck as my release went on and on. *** ¡°Oh, my God,¡± Estelle gushed as the boy walked to the backyard. ¡°I¡¯ve been expecting you.¡± She knelt before Emery, who was slightly shy and smaller than his age. ¡°I¡¯m Estelle, and you are Emery.¡± ¡°Hi, ma¡¯am.¡± Offering his little hand for a handshake. ¡°Aw.¡± Estelle giggled as she turned her head to look at me and mouthed, ¡°he called me ma¡¯am.¡± I smiled. My heart warmed. No doubt, she was ready to be a mother. ¡°Come with me.¡± Estelle didn¡¯t go his hand, and they walked hand in hand in my direction. ¡°He can be a little shy, but just wait for a while. He will be talkative,¡± Sk told Estelle. ¡°He¡¯s so cute and well-mannered.¡± Her smile never left her face as they reached me. ¡°Emery, I want you to meet your mom¡¯s friend and my husband. ¡°This is Gabe.¡± ¡°Hello, sir.¡± He held his hand out again, but I offered a fist bump. He fist-bumped into mine. ¡°Call me Gabe.¡± He nodded and sat beside his mother. ¡°Do you like cookies, Emery?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°I¡¯m your mommy¡¯s friend, so you can call me Estelle. Come with me. I¡¯ll show you our cookies.¡± He looked at Sk, probably asking for approval. ¡°You can go. Just behave, okay?¡± Sk touched his head. Her simple gesture showed me how much she loved her son. Once Estelle and Emery were out of my sight, I turned to Sk. She suddenly became conscious. ¡°You know. Estelle told you.¡± ¡°Yeah. We don¡¯t keep secrets.¡± She looked down. I could feel and see the guilt in her actions. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. I should be the one apologizing. I hated you for years. I abandoned you when you were alone when you needed someone. I should have been there. Why, Sk? Why didn¡¯t you tell me the truth? Instead, you lied to me. You make me believe you cheated on me. For fuck sake, I believed it.¡± ¡°Because I was ashamed. I was lost, and I felt guilty.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the victim. Why did you feel guilty?¡± She inhaled deeply. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have gone to that bar. I thought I could trust my friends and their girlfriends. I trusted them.¡± ¡°None of this is your fault. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I reached out for her hand and squeezed it. ¡°You¡¯re not alone anymore. I am here. Me and Estelle and my friends.¡± She wiped her tears and looked up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wanted your help, but after finding out you¡¯re with someone, I can¡¯t drag you into my mess.¡± ¡°Toote. Even Estelle won¡¯t stop until you get justice.¡± ¡°She¡¯s something, isn¡¯t she?¡± She smiled- a genuine smile. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I think we wouldn¡¯t be together even if I told you what happened to me. Maybe we could still be friends because looking at you right now, happy, you deserve someone like Estelle, no baggage.¡± ¡°No baggage?¡± I snorted. ¡°Are you kidding me? She almost married an asshole.¡± Skughed softly. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story for another time.¡± I swallowed before I threw my most terrifying question. ¡°Who did it to you? Is it Miles?¡± ¡°No.¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t. She looked at her hands, twisting her fingers. ¡°I told you it¡¯s Miles because he was the only man who believed me and stayed by my side without judgment. Even my own mother told me I was crazy that after getting pregnant, I med it on someone because I couldn¡¯t keep getting into someone¡¯s pants. You know how she really rooted for us.¡± ¡°Do you still talk to your mother?¡± ¡°No. Since I left town, she hasn¡¯t seen Emery. She didn¡¯t even reach out.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± She swallowed before she revealed the man who vited her. ¡°Jake-¡± ¡°Jake fucking Boyd?¡± I was already growling, my hands in fists as I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°Motherfucker.¡± Hence Emery¡¯s skin color. Sk went silent. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to the police?¡± My nose red. My face was heated with anger. ¡°I woke up naked in a motel room. He just finished-¡± Sk¡¯s tears rolled down her face. ¡°He threatened me, my mom, and dad, and threatened to kill you once you return. He said he has pictures of me naked.¡± ¡°Motherfucker. Did he ever find out you¡¯re pregnant?¡± ¡°Yeah. We bumped into each other in a convenience store. He grabbed me, dragged me to the corner, and threatened me if I would not get rid of it. I was five months pregnant. It was impossible.¡± She sniffed. ¡°I just told you that time that I was-¡± ¡°I remember. I went back and requested another deployment.¡± ¡°I thought of it many times when I found out I was pregnant. But even if I did, you would still find out someone molested me or got pregnant and had an abortion. At least lying to you wouldn¡¯t hurt you that much. That¡¯s what I only had in mine.¡± ¡°Come here.¡± I pulled her close to me and hugged her tight. ¡°We will get that motherfucker. I promise you. He won¡¯t threaten you again. This time, we will get him and get what he deserves.¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t see thating.¡± The voice of Sax behind us pulled us away. Sk went back to her seat, wiping her tears. ¡°What did I miss?¡± Sax bounced his gaze between me and Sk. ¡°Is Estelle okay with this? Because thest time I heard. He pointed at Sk. ¡°You, whoever you are, broke his heart, yet here you are, hugging my best friend. Whatever story you cooked up, I¡¯m not buying it.¡± ¡°Shut up and sit down, Ryder,¡± I ordered without a hint of emotion because he just pissed me off with his judgment. He incredulously stared at me. ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡± ¡°Sit the fuck down.¡± ring at me and Sk, he sat on the chair far from her. ¡°What is your agenda?¡± ¡°Will you please, for the love of God, shut your mouth for a second?¡± ¡°Fine. But whatever is going on, you won¡¯t get help from me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still talking. If you don¡¯t help, I still have men who could do better than you.¡± I noticed Sk hide her smile. ¡°Ouch. So, can I go now?¡± He was ready to leave. His ass was already in the air. ¡°No.¡± I waited for him to say something, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°What do you know about Jake Boyd?¡± ¡°Jake Boyd, the ex-military, now owned a bar in the Bronx?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Our guys sometimes go to his bar. He once joked about joining the team. What do you want from him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Invite him to visit Osmium. Show him around. If he doesn¡¯t ask the owner, don¡¯t tell him.¡± ¡°He probably knows you own Osmium, given your face is all over the magazine and the inte. I need more info if you want my help.¡± ¡°Jesus.¡± ¡°Since when do you be tight-lipped about anything going on? Oh, yeah, since Greer.¡± I sighed. ¡°Not right now-¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Gabe. I under-¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°He molested her.¡± Sax¡¯s mouth gaped and stopped blinking, but he turned to stare at Sk. ¡°That psycho. I¡¯ll kill him myself. When?¡± Chapter 70 ESTELLE ¡°That¡¯s the dumbest idea I ever heard,¡± Kye countered after Linden told him his n to catch Jake Boyd. ¡°What made you think he would confess? Or worse, he will get spooked and hide or sue our asses for harassment. Let¡¯s make it legit. First, we need evidence to start a case and a good prosecutor to bring him to court-martial. Who¡¯s the victim?¡± Sk hesitantly raised her hand. Thankfully, Emery was not around. Mom took him with her to the park. And because mom loved kids. ¡°Oh.¡± Shocked, Kye shut his mouth before he cleared his throat. ¡°When did this happen? If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡± ¡°Before the time Linden thought she was cheating on him,¡± Sax was the one who broke the news while my husband remained silent. And his silence spoke volumes. When he did that, a lot was going on in his mind. One of those was guilt- he was ming himself. ¡°Seven, six years ago?¡± ¡°Seven. My son is six.¡± ¡°Shit. I¡¯m sorry. I guess I wasn¡¯t thinking about him.¡± Kye looked horrified and apologetic. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I love him unconditionally. I may not have the choice to choose his father, but Emery¡¯s nothing like him. He¡¯s a good son.¡± ¡°I guess our choice in life, our actions, who we are, are not inherited,¡± he noted. ¡°Yeah. I guess so.¡± She drew her strength from within. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you report it?¡± ¡°He threatened me and everyone around me, including Gabe, in the tour. He said he took pictures of me naked. We were at the bar when he came to join me with my girlfriends. I didn¡¯t know he had bad intentions. He was friendly, offered to buy us drinks, and then drugged me.¡± ¡°Psychopath.¡± ¡°The next thing I knew, I suddenly felt drunk. He offered to send me home. I trusted him because he knew I was dating Gabe. I woke up-¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to tell us. I¡¯m so sorry you went through so much. Why didn¡¯t you tell him?¡± Kye tipped his head to a silent Linden. ¡°I was disgraced. He trusted me with our rtionship while he was away fighting God knows what. I felt humiliated and filthy of myself. I couldn¡¯t tell him that someone had taken advantage of my naivety while carrying the fruit of that assault. My dad died, and I never got the chance to tell him the truth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I pulled her into a hug. She was so tough despite what happened to her. ¡°I cannot let him walk free and victimize God knows how many other women. He has to rot in jail.¡± ¡°Agree,¡± Kye said. ¡°Can you keep this between us?¡± Sk asked. ¡°You can trust us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust myself right now. I wanna kill him.¡± Sax slumped himself back to the sofa. ¡°I need a drink.¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± I told him. ¡°You know what? I think I¡¯m calling Terzo.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Terzo?¡± she asked. ¡°You don¡¯t wanna know, love.¡± Linden and I shared a look before I averted my gaze and hid my smile. ¡°You¡¯re not calling anyone.¡± Kye red at him. ¡°Oh, I will. Terzo is good at skinning- ¡± ¡°Gabriel?¡± I called my husband when he hadn¡¯t said a word. ¡°You¡¯re ming yourself,¡± Sk looked at him. ¡°I know, but I couldn¡¯t go back to that time and skin him alive. The best I could do is make him pay for what he did to you.¡± ¡°Um, I need to tell you something,¡± Sk hesitated. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked her. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know where I live. He knows I have a son. Once, he called me and threatened to take Emery, saying I won¡¯t see my son again.¡± ¡°On the other thought, I don¡¯t want to humiliate him anymore.¡± Linden¡¯s jaw locked as he leaned his back. rmed, I asked him quickly. ¡°Baby, Gabriel, what are you saying?¡± When he picked up his phone and could call someone, I snatched it from him. ¡°You can¡¯t take thew into your own hands.¡± ¡°Not me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Confused, I asked when all I saw in his eyes was a rage for revenge. ¡°Give me my phone, Estelle.¡± ¡°No. What are you nning on doing, husband?¡± ¡°This is why I don¡¯t wanna tell him because he would take thew into his own hands,¡± Sk said. ¡°Trust me. I just want to ask-¡± ¡°Terzo, for a favor?¡± My brows wrinkled harder. ¡°Then you will be indebted to him for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°No, baby. I¡¯ll ask him if he knows Boyd.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I gave his phone back and offered dryly. ¡°Put it on speaker?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t trust me?¡± ¡°I trust you, but it¡¯s him that I don¡¯t trust.¡± He dialed Terzo and put it on speaker. I went to his chair and sat next to him. ¡°Mio amico,I¡¯m d you¡¯re still alive. I was worried when you didn¡¯t call.¡± ¡°I was in the hospital for a few days.¡± ¡°Sorry to hear that. Don¡¯t tell me you were in the underground fight-¡± ¡°You¡¯re on speaker.¡± He was quick to cut him off. ¡°Oh. Sorry. Your wife is listening, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here, Terzo.¡± ¡°Hello,mia cara.¡± ¡°Terzo, is someone owed you in the Bronx?¡± He cut to the chase. ¡°Money or life?¡± Linden groaned. ¡°It¡¯s a serious question, my friend. What is it all about?¡± ¡°Someone owed me from years ago.¡± ¡°All I need is a name.¡± We got the same reaction, except for Linden, who didn¡¯t seem to care but eyes filled with anger. ¡°I¡¯ll call you back.¡± ¡°Anytime, man.¡± The moment he hung up, I let go of a shuddering breath. ¡°Don¡¯t go there, Gabe. Please? Once you¡¯ve taken a life or been an aplice to the crime-¡± ¡°I took lives-¡± ¡°In war. This is not your war,¡± Sk said. ¡°You¡¯re not at war anymore,¡± I added as I tried convincing him since I was his wife, and maybe he would be enlightened. ¡°The moment he did what he did to Sk, it¡¯s my war. He started a war with me seven years ago. And I don¡¯t leave unfinished business.¡± ¡°Estelle, please tell him?¡± She turned to me. ¡°This is not what I need from him. All I want is his support and maybe warn Jake to stop threatening me again, and I need awyer to issue him a restraining order or sue him for a felony.¡± ¡°You have a bigger case against him, but your son will be dragged into this. They will test him for DNA to see if it matches his father. Your past life and present will be open wide. If you have secrets, he will use them against you. Are you ready to face him in the court?¡± Sk hadn¡¯t answered yet, but he was already dialing Moses. ¡°Hey, boss?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s he calling?¡± Sk whispered to me. ¡°He calls Moses boss.¡± ¡°Moses?¡± ¡°Moses Braddson.¡± ¡°The Moses Braddson?¡± Her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She suddenly swallowed hard and shifted in the chair. ¡°I need your advice.¡± ¡°I remember thest time my son came to my office, he asked for a divorcewyer. If you¡¯re asking for the same, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°Sorry to burst your bubble, but I¡¯m not nning on divorcing my wife.¡± He wrapped his arm around me possessively and kissed the top of my head. ¡°She¡¯s stuck with me through eternity.¡± ¡°Then what is it? I can hear the depth of your pain through your words, son. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Can we talk in person?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°At home.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there in twenty.¡± ¡°Thank you, boss.¡± ¡°Stuck with you through eternity?¡± I looked up at him. I wanted to lighten up his mood, and it worked. ¡°Yeah. Until we meet again in our next lives when our souls reincarnated.¡± He leaned in and kissed my lips. It was quick, but we still got different reactions. ¡°Jesus. Get a room. There¡¯s still a single with you.¡± Kye eyed Sax. ¡°You mean singles.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Sax shrugged, still mad. ¡°Something huge got your boxers in a twist, my friend.¡± He red at Kye. ¡°Just shut up.¡± ¡°Your mother, Estelle. She might want me to take Emery back.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re having fun. You can call her if you¡¯re worried.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried. I don¡¯t wanna bother her.¡± ¡°If you need someone to watch Emery, call her. She¡¯s the best.¡± I decided to lighten up the tension suffocating around us. We had snacks, but Linden barely touched his food. Sax, on the other hand, was frowning all the time. I didn¡¯t know what his issue was, so I asked Linden. He whispered, ¡°He can be an asshole, but Sax has a soft heart. He despised the name Sk for years. Now that he knows the truth, he wants to make up for it. He¡¯s like that. He gets angry at someone, but he knows when to apologize.¡± ¡°I see. I thought he liked your ex,¡± I whispered back. ¡°I have no issue, baby because I know she¡¯s in good hands. Sax is the most reliable man I know. He will gamble his life without a second thought. I trust him with my life, even yours.¡± ¡°Gabe?¡± Moses just arrived. ¡°Boss, thanks foring so fast.¡± He got up to meet Moses. ¡°Hey, honey. How are you doing?¡± I went to kiss him on the cheek. ¡°Good patient, good wife.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± He smiled. ¡°I¡¯d like you to meet Sk. Sk, this is Moses Braddson. Striker¡¯s father.¡± ¡°Hello, sir.¡± She shook Moses¡¯ hand. ¡°Nice to meet you. I only saw you on tv and the inte.¡± ¡°I hope not about the crash.¡± Sk smiled shyly. ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Moses asked Linden, making me suddenly worry. ¡°Can we talk inside?¡± ¡°Of course.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org When they went inside, I sat down. Sax and Kye suddenly paced back and forth, giving me a headache. ¡°I¡¯m worried,¡± Sk voiced out her concern. ¡°About Gabriel?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Trust me, whatever they talk about inside the house, the decision wille from Moses. He respects him a lot. Moses is like his second father.¡± ¡°I saw that. Isn¡¯t he the wealthiest man in the world?¡± ¡°Yeah. And this house is his wedding gift.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s generous of him.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°And I¡¯m still wrapping my head around the fact that you¡¯re a billionaire.¡± Sax suddenlyughed. ¡°Striker and Cenric are billionaires. Of course, Linden is a secret billionaire. Don¡¯t tell him I told you. I saw his tax form.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Kye reacted. ¡°You sneaky son of a-¡± I saw the pride in Sk¡¯s eyes and something else that sent my stomach knotting. Then, I watched how they interacted with each other. There was definitely a spark, but none of them figured it out yet. Or I was twisting it in my brain. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m the only poor in the team.¡± ¡°I am poor, man,¡± Kye joined him. ¡°You bought a hundred acres ofnd, asshole. Me? Nada.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah? Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know how much you invested in Osmium? You¡¯re a major shareholder. How much is Osmium¡¯s worth?¡± ¡°Okay, guys. Settle down,¡± I told them both before I turned to Sk. ¡°Where do you work?¡± ¡°Astatine Marketing Service. The job can be demanding sometimes, but I was looking forward to the promotion next year.¡± ¡°To what position?¡± Sax seemingly paid enough attention. ¡°Head of Marketing Research.¡± ¡°If your job is demanding, you can work at Osmium, in herpany, or with London, Cade Premium, or even at the Hover Subsidiaries.¡± ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m good.¡± She smiled shyly. ¡°He¡¯s right. I can definitely give you a job.¡± ¡°Thank you. I keep that in mind if I need a new work environment.¡± Moses and Linden finally came back, and they wereughing. Linden¡¯s face lit up like Christmas lights. That was how Moses or his father, Jaymes, touched his heart. ¡°And you just ordered him, and he shut up.¡± Lindenughed again. ¡°What just happened?¡± Sax asked me when I, myself, was still dumbfounded. ¡°I have no freaking idea.¡± Chapter 71 LINDEN ¡°Bro, we can¡¯t pretend the boss wasn¡¯t here earlier. Care to tell us what you two talked about?¡± Sax was very predictable. I knew he wouldn¡¯t let it go. He was still keeping grudges against me when I didn¡¯t tell him the whole detail of how I ended up beaten up. ¡°You mean,youwanna know?¡± Pissed off, he stood up from the chair and was ready to leave. ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t tell me.¡± Before he could walk out of my office door, I called him. ¡°Sax.¡± ¡°No. I get it. You¡¯re different now. You¡¯re our boss. Your words are your order for subordinates like us to follow. I guess I just got used to the idea that you¡¯re still the friend I used tough and joke around with. ¡°See you at Osmium, boss.¡± ¡°Sax,¡± I called his name again, but he chose to ignore me and left. I shut myptop and rubbed my temple. I was typing an email, but I couldn¡¯t concentrate anymore, no matter how important it was. I left my office to find him and met my wife in the hallway instead. ¡°Sax left,¡± Estelle informed me. ¡°He¡¯s pissed off. I¡¯m about to find him, but I guess he already left.¡± ¡°I asked if he talked to you.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯ll see you at Osmium, and he didn¡¯t sound like Sax.¡± Sk came with her son. ¡°We have to go.¡± ¡°Already?¡± I ruffled Emery¡¯s hair. No matter how much I hated his father, I could never hate an innocent human-he was a shy but cool kid. ¡°Yeah. You know I have work, and I left tons ofundry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what we talked about. I will give you updates, okay? Call me if you need anything, and don¡¯t hesitate to call anyone if you feel something odd, even if it doesn¡¯t make sense, even the slightest. Always trust your instincts. And it¡¯s always right.¡± ¡°Do you think he found us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but I¡¯m asking someone to check up on your apartment once in a while.¡± ¡°Sax?¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my smile. ¡°He¡¯s nice to Emery,¡± she said. ¡°And if you trust him, I can trust him too.¡± ¡°I will talk to him.¡± ¡°Thank you, Gabe.¡± ¡°No need to thank me.¡± I hugged Sk even in front of my wife because for sure Estelle knew where she stood. ¡°Thank you, too.¡± She hugged Estelle after. ¡°See you soon, bud?¡± We fist bumped. ¡°I have something for you.¡± Estelle took the paper bag from the staff and offered it to Sk. ¡°I know it¡¯s nothing much, but I hope you like it.¡± Sk¡¯s eyes lit up as she checked what was inside. ¡°Are you kidding me? I just bought the tinted lip balmst week. I really like it.¡± ¡°Oh, that one you have is about to beunched next week. So you, Mom, and I are the only people who have right now.¡± ¡°Oh, my God. Thank you so much,¡± she gushed. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t know you owned Star Cosmetics. My co-worker introduced me to your tinted lipstick. I¡¯m not really active on Instagram, so I didn¡¯t even check it out.¡± She was not active, yet she found me on Instagram. That was odd. ¡°You¡¯re scared he would find you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You made the best decision ofing to me,¡± I told her. ¡°I won¡¯t let you down again, Sk.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She smiled sadly, holding her son on the shoulders. When the air suddenly shifted, Estelle broke the tension. ¡°Whatpanies do you usually work with?¡± ¡°Mostly electronics, and we have a beautypany.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Estelle broke out a smile. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± I asked her. ¡°I just have an idea.¡± She looked down at Emery. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Estelle.¡± Giggling, she hugged the kid. ¡°Oh, sweet boy. You call me by my name. Take care of your mom, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The house suddenly fell silent when everyone left. I uploaded one of our wedding photos onto my Instagram ount and tagged Estelle. I added a short caption.I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d find my heart in you. ¡°That¡¯s my space.¡± Estelle came, joining me on the couch. I let her head rest on my thigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know you imed this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Sometimes, I¡¯m very territorial over something.¡± ¡°And someone.¡± I traced my thumb over her chin. ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t know I had that in me. Until I met you.¡± When her hand reached for my face, I held it and kissed her palm. ¡°How¡¯s our baby?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°It¡¯s fine. How¡¯s your lung?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m good. I still feel a little difort.¡± I inhaled deeply to test it. ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m breathing well.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve learned your lesson. No more brawling or taking things into your hands. I want you to be safe for us, Gabriel. I don¡¯t want to be in that situation again. It sucks. It felt like someone took control of the air I breathed every time I thought I might not see you again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry if I put you through that. I can¡¯t promise our lives will be easy, but I¡¯ll do my best to keep our family safe.¡± I sighed. ¡°I married you to give you and our child a good life, but I feel like I haven¡¯t even begun. I¡¯m already failing.¡± ¡°Just shut up. My life was alreadyplicated and messy before I married you. You took me out of that hell hole. And I didn¡¯t expect to have a perfect life with you because nothing is perfect, but I¡¯m happy with that setup as long as we are together. And you and I are barely starting. Don¡¯t be disappointed if things don¡¯t go our way. We will find another way. We always will.¡± I nodded in understanding and smiled. ¡°Look at you, twenty-four-year-old pregnant, married to an old me, and you¡¯re already filled with wisdom.¡± ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± She pinched my chin, gritting her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m impressed and pleased that you¡¯re not giving up.¡± ¡°You just said we will stick together through eternity. I might have to consider that if you stop ming yourself for everything that happens around you. And try to stop giving me early signs of a heart attack. Otherwise, how will I be with you through eternity if I die young?¡± I leaned down and cupped her face. ¡°You rock my world, baby.¡± I kissed her lips. ¡°Ain¡¯t nothing better than to live a life with you.¡± She smiled against my lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were this corny.¡± I tore my mouth away and frowned. ¡°I just want to tell you how I feel, but if you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you? I love it. I love-¡± She stopped and swallowed the words before she could finish it. I wish she didn¡¯t. ¡°I feel the same about you.¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t. You don¡¯t know how I feel about you because no right words would fit it.¡± I let go of a long breath. ¡°I should stop talking.¡± I rested my head and back, and I felt difort on my side. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She ced a palm on my chest. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Let me check your incision.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just small, and it¡¯s fine,¡± I refused. I didn¡¯t want her to worry because I knew it was healing. ¡°Stay.¡± She still got up and went to our room. A few secondster, she came back with the kit. ¡°Do you even know how to use that thing?¡± ¡°You always doubt everything I do.¡± I stared at her. My brows furrowed. I felt hurt that she thought I doubted her. She had no idea how proud I was of everything she did. It still amazed me how I made her agree to be with my wife. She must have felt my eyes on her as she stopped and lifted her gaze. ¡°Did I upset you?¡± I blinked off my emotions. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Would you like me to dress your cut?¡± ¡°Yes, please?¡± I lifted the shirt with my free hand and ced my arm behind my head. She cleaned her hands with sanitizer and slowly peeled off the old dressing. ¡°Just take it off. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Men and their ego, and their toxic masculinity. It¡¯s okay to show pain. It doesn¡¯t make you any less of a man. I know you may have a reputation to uphold, but for me, you¡¯re the badass among badasses because you showed me the real you.¡± She wiped the cut with a swab then applied an antibiotic cream. ¡°It¡¯s healing quickly. That¡¯s what I love about you, not the broody, bossy, hard shell to crack. I like you just the way you are. Now I¡¯m quoting Bruno Mar¡¯s song.¡± I chuckled and looked at her. When our gazes met, she smiled and kissed me. I pulled her close once she was done with the dressing and secured it with tape. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You should talk to Sax.¡± ¡°He¡¯s upset I didn¡¯t tell him what I talked about with Moses.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m getting the idea of you not telling me everything work-rted as long as it doesn¡¯t involve our family. That¡¯s my limit, Gabriel.¡± ¡°I know, baby.¡± ¡°What did you and Moses talk about anyway?¡± My face broke into a smile. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t care anymore.¡± ¡°Just trying my luck.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Moses will ask someone from the NCIS to investigate Boyd.¡± ¡°Someone?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who, baby.¡± ¡°I have a feeling that Sk is not the only victim, and she is not telling us the whole story.¡± ¡°What made you say that?¡± I pressed the line between her brows. ¡°I got this feeling in my gut. I know my idea is wed and not well-thought. When Moses offered, I didn¡¯t argue because Kye had a point.¡± ¡°It was out of anger, I understand.¡± ¡°So what we will do is wait until I hear something from Moses¡¯ contact. If he finds nothing, I will find a goodwyer for Sk to start a case and protect them from Boyd.¡± ¡°And call Sax, please?¡± ¡°I will.¡± Chapter 72 ESTELLE ¡°Congrattions, Mom!¡± I hugged her tight. Theunching of our new products, from cosmetics to activewear, just went live. Our ads were all over the billboards, online, and in New York Times Square. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± I was so happy, grinning all the time. I took a selfie and immediately posted it on my Instagram. ¡°I am prouder of you. I wouldn¡¯t have a cool job without you, honey.¡± ¡°I know, right.¡± I beamed at her. ¡°I guess we are proud of each other and the whole team.¡± Wi just walked in. ¡°Oh, my God! I love the ads.¡± ¡°Your gallery is amazing.¡± ¡°Thank you, Deirdre.¡± I took the Champagne and called everyone. ¡°Guys, without all of you, thispany would be impossible to reach the recognition and awards. You¡¯re the foundation of Star LLC. My only contribution is hard work. You guys did all the hard lifting. Congrattions!¡± I popped the champagne bottle. The corked flew. Everyone apuded. ¡°I think you¡¯re humble.¡± Wi squeezed me into a hug while our cheeks pressed together. I giggled. ¡°You know our lipstick is smudge-proof, right?¡± We barked outughing. ¡°Yeah. I forgot,¡± she admitted. ¡°Thank you for trusting me with your gallery.¡± ¡°You know I would never say to you. You¡¯re my favorite girl in the family.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I am the only girl in the family. Well, plus you.¡± She grabbed a flute, and I had sparkling water. ¡°To more sess.¡± ¡°To more sess.¡± *** ¡°Baby, can you check the caller?¡± I already hated waking up from the rm, but I hated waking up to a ringtone. My eyes were still closed, but I felt Linden move into the bed. ¡°Your mom, baby.¡± ¡°Why is she calling you?¡± He blew a breath, probably trying to wake his senses. ¡°Deirdre, hey.¡± I curled into afortable position and blocked his voice. It didn¡¯t take a second. Linden shook me slightly, calling my name. ¡°What? Tell meter. I¡¯m sleepy.¡± I grunted, blindly elbowing him. ¡°It¡¯s important, baby. Your mom is down.¡± I cracked my eyes open. ¡°Down? Where?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in our house in the living.¡± ¡°Shit. What¡¯s the emergency?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we wanna know. Put your robe on. See you down.¡± When he said that, and his tone seemed serious, I nodded. Linden put his clothes on and left the room. I used the bathroom and put my pajamas on. I went down and found my mother pacing in the living room. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s going on? It¡¯s three in the freaking morning, and you drove all the way here?¡± ¡°My driver. Have you checked online? On Instagram, X, Tiktok, especially Tiktok.¡± ¡°No. I haven¡¯t. Why?¡± I carefully wrapped my robe around me and tightened the knot. ¡°They¡¯re canceling us.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s going on?¡± I went to her and held her arms. She looked so terrified. She was even shaking. ¡°Mom?¡± She drew a deep breath. ¡°You know these stupid vloggers think they know everything and can rule the world. There should be aw banning them from posting nonsense online. They are killing businesses, and the viewers believe without proof. For all I know, they could have manipted and edited their videos.¡± ¡°Mom, calm down. I don¡¯t understand why you are upset, but I believe every social media application has amunity standard to follow.¡± ¡°And this cancel culture, what this? Your generation of bullies is a slippery slope toward violence.¡± She was distraught. Her hands propped on her hips. ¡°It¡¯s been trending. A content creator who tried our new products for a review on the liquid lipstick and Stash volume mascara had an allergic reaction. And she used the products during her live video.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible unless she¡¯s allergic to the ingredients. Then that¡¯s not our concern.¡± ¡°She has three million followers, honey, and now she gets the sympathy of everyone on the inte. They started calling us out on X, boycotting ourpany. Most orders have been canceled, and almost ny-five percent ofments are in her favor. You can readments on your Instagram andpany ounts. It¡¯s wild, and she really makes us look bad.¡± I breathed deeply. ¡°Who¡¯s she?¡± ¡°Tatiana Golds.¡± ¡°Let our legal team talk to her,¡± I said calmly, even if I was boiling inside. ¡°You wanna settle with her under a non-disclosed arrangement?¡± I turned to Linden. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea, baby.¡± ¡°What can you suggest then? You can share it with us right now.¡± ¡°Let us investigate if she has allergies to anyponents in the product she used while going live.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right, honey. I will talk to the PR to issue a statement.¡± I briefly closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I felt like I was going to faint. I hadn¡¯t seen the video, but I had a feeling it was worse, considering how people have gone wild on the inte, shutting us down. ¡°Breathe, baby. We can handle this. Remember our pep-talk?¡± he said. His voice filled with sympathy as he came to my back and rubbed my arm. ¡°Yeah.¡± I nodded. ¡°I wanna sit down.¡± ¡°Drink, Mrs. L.¡± Lynx brought me a ss of water. ¡°I hope not, Mrs. Lynx.¡± Heughed while my husband wasn¡¯t amused by what I said. ¡°It¡¯s a joke. You want me to calm down. I need an icebreaker.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°That wasn¡¯t funny at all.¡± He picked up his phone and dialed someone. While Mom was busy on the phone, I took my phone and got the liberty to tap the TikTok app. The app hadn¡¯t opened, yet my phone was already gone from my hand. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stress it out, too.¡± I red at my husband. ¡°That is mypany they¡¯re harassing. I need to see the video before I sue her ass.¡± ¡°Let me work on this issue. Just stay put and trust me.¡± I was already on my feet, my hands on my hips as I tried to point out to him. ¡°You know I trust you, but I need to see it for myself. It¡¯s a part of my job to oversee thepany, Gabriel.¡± ¡°I know what is your job description, Estelle. I do that every day.¡± ¡°Then maybe I can find something on that video. I know my product. I helped my scientists. They¡¯re nt-based unless she¡¯s allergic to nts, and she eats human instead.¡± I held my hand out. ¡°Give me my phone, Gabriel.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. He fought the urge to argue with me, but I won¡¯t back down. He red his nose before he gave it back to me. ¡°If I see you stressing out, I swear to God. I¡¯ll take you to Nepal and let you practice yoga there.¡± I didn¡¯t have to search for it. People had already been tagging me. Since I turned off all notifications on my social media ounts, I didn¡¯t know how much worse it was. I yed the video that already garnered millions of views and likes with thousands ofments and shares. Tatiana¡¯s ount was verified. She shared makeup tutorials and reviewed beauty and skincare products. She was legit. She first introduced herself on the seven-minute video bare-faced. She revealed how she applied skincare on her face for one minute and twenty-five seconds. Then she showed the product still in the box- it was my liquid lipstick. ¡°Is that yours?¡± Linden joined me on the couch. ¡°Looks like it.¡± I continued watching. She took our Stash mascara and showed it to the viewers. ¡°Both packaging are impressive, which reminds me of French beauty brands. Let¡¯s see the product.¡± She first opened the liquid lipstick and told the viewers the color she preferred. ¡°She opened from the bottom.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. You need to take the same products she used. I wanna see them myself.¡± ¡°Is there something I should know about?¡± ¡°No. I hope I¡¯m right about it.¡± I watched the video until she applied the lipstick first on the side of her palm. ¡°It looks like a good product. I actually made a review of their previouslyunched lipstick. I rated it eight out of ten. Right now, I¡¯m impressed.¡± She tried to wipe it off her hand. The stain didn¡¯t go. That was what I expected. She showed the lipstick on the camera before she applied it to her lips. She pressed them together and checked the oue. ¡°She only showed her face,¡± Lindenmented. ¡°And?¡± I asked. My gaze was still glued to the video. ¡°A lot of things can happen in that angle. No one would know or see below her neck. She could rece the product since no one could see her hands.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s possible that she intends to sabotage my brand,¡± I agreed. Then she put on the mascara after unboxing it the same way. ¡°I liked the brush. I hope this doesn¡¯t clump.¡± She applied the mascara on her leftshes. ¡°I hate mascara when it kes. But let me share a secret. When your mascara is clumpy, try dunking it into hot water for a few minutes.¡± Then she began pressing her lips together and licked them. Perhaps that was how the allergies started, but I still didn¡¯t see her lips swell. I watched her touch her lips, and after that, she looked herself in the mirror. ¡°Oh, my God. I think I just got an allergic reaction.¡± She began her hysteria. She wiped it off with a tissue. I could now see the redness around her lips. She wiped her eyes off with the same tissue she used on her lips. The video ended. ¡°That¡¯s how she got allergies in her eye, too,¡± Linden said. After an hour, she posted an update after the allergic reaction. I watched the next video. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± Her lips looked like a lip-filler gone wrong, and her left eye was like she got a bee-stung. ¡°Anyone who saw that video would believe her.¡± Chapter 73 LINDEN ¡°You can¡¯t pay me to shut up. Look at me. I¡¯m ugly because of that stupid lipstick and low-quality mascara.¡± Tatiana kept crying. Her lips were still swollen, but they healed a little, not the same as in her second video. ¡°Even for one hundred thousand dors?¡± I wanted to roll my eyes at Sax¡¯s ridiculous offer. I knew he just wanted to get her reaction. Right now, I could feel Sax grinning deep inside as Tatiana stopped crying. Her unaffected eye widened a little. ¡°How much do you earn in each video? Does it depend on the views?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sorry for what you went through. Is there anything we can do for you?¡± I asked politely. ¡°Who are you again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Gabe Linden. I¡¯m here to find out what happened. As you know, you have everyone¡¯s sympathy, including me.¡± She grabbed her phone and typed something while I waited for her reply. ¡°You, son of a bitch. You are Estelle¡¯s husband. Estelle¡¯s low-quality product almost killed me.¡± I ignored her outburst. That was eptable, considering what she¡¯d endured with the allergic reaction. I remained calm. ¡°I didn¡¯te here as Estelle¡¯s husband. I came here to know the truth.¡± ¡°Do you think I nned this?¡± She pointed at her face.Yeah, maybe. That¡¯s why I am here to find out.¡°To ruin Star Cosmetics.¡±That idea was my first thought.¡°Then what? What do I earn in return?¡± ¡°We would like to see and examine the products, the same products you used.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m filing aint against Star Cosmetics. I know my fans believed me. They saw the whole video. It now has more than ten million views and hundreds of thousands ofments and shares. Your wife¡¯spany will go down the sink.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stop you. That¡¯s your right.¡± ¡°We can also countersue you with fifty million dor damages if we find your im false. You¡¯ve used the old products, and nothing happened to you. Doesn¡¯t the product use the same ingredients?¡± Sax had a point. ¡°So, I did this to myself to gain followers? To gain likes-¡± ¡°To earn and gain attention. Yes.¡± Sax was right, but he was making the situation worse. ¡°Why else would you waste your time?¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. I red at Sax. I knew he was forced to be with me because I hadn¡¯t apologized and told him what Moses and I talked about. I was trying to sort it out and not escte, but he was doing the opposite. ¡°It¡¯s an honest review, mister, and I¡¯m making an honest living not to destroy apany¡¯s image. It just happened her products were not what she advertised. They¡¯re below average, good-for-nothing, and she¡¯s greedy, taking all the money for herself.¡± She stole a nce at me. ¡°That contradicts what you said on your video before that happened to you.¡± Sax finally had a point. ¡°And you said what you¡¯re doing is giving an honest review.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie to my followers. They depend on my reviews, and not everybody can afford top beauty brands, so they watch my videos. Now that they see what happened, nobody will buy Star products anymore, including her activewear, because they suck.¡± ¡°We want to take a small sample of your lipstick and mascara.¡± ¡°No. I want an expert. Bring the cops if you wish, but you. You will not give a fair report.¡± ¡°I was not going to do it myself, Ms. Golds. I was hoping to find the FDA at Star LLC. As of this moment, the Star Legal team is conducting a meeting forwsuits of the damages, and mypany will be involved with FDA for the investigations. We will also find out where you purchase the products. We will find out if you are allergic to any food or allergen. It¡¯s only a matter of time. If you cooperate, maybe we can settle things out, and you will be wellpensated.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t scare me. You can¡¯t bribe me. I¡¯m the victim here.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I subtly nodded. ¡°Where did you buy the products?¡± ¡°Get out of my apartment, Mr. Linden. Good luck to you and your wife in finding new investors.¡± My brow arched. ¡°What made you say that?¡± She rolled an eye since her right eye had a patch on. ¡°Duh. Everyone will back out. No one will buy her merchandise, even if she donates them. No one would use it because that¡¯s how poor the ingredients she used were. She did not even apologize.¡± ¡°So you want her to apologize?¡± Sax asked her. ¡°That¡¯s themon courtesy when she makes mistakes for making everyone believe her products are safe.¡± ¡°Thank you for your time, Ms. Golds. Here¡¯s my card. Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t need you.¡± She narrowed an eye at me. Once we were in the car, I looked at Sax. ¡°You¡¯re reckless. You almost blew my inquisition.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re mad at me. If you¡¯re waiting for my apology, that¡¯s not gonna happen.¡± ¡°Of course, boss.¡± I sighed exasperatingly. ¡°Don¡¯t do this. I have a lot of things on my te right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job, boss,¡± he replied nonchntly. ¡°Jesus Christ, Sax. We¡¯ve been best friends for years. Can I still trust you to have my back?¡± ¡°My job, man.¡± He shrugged, and nothing could budge him, even if it pissed me off. ¡°Stop fucking with me. I know why you¡¯re mad at me. I wish you could trust me that the reason why I am doing what I¡¯m doing is for everyone¡¯s good. I would never hide anything from all of you if not our safety is involved.¡± ¡°Even my life is at stake?¡± He snapped his head at me, shooting me a re. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t deserve to know?¡± ¡°If you know it, I just risk your life.¡± ¡°Are we still talking about what happenedst week or something else?¡± ¡°Everything. You can be pissed at me, but I need you to trust me on this.¡± ¡°Fuck you. I¡¯m done with your bullshit.¡± As soon as the car parked in front of Star Building, he opened the door. ¡°I quit. Good luck, Linden.¡± Unblinking, I stared at my brother, who just gave up on me, got out of the car, and walked out. Just like that, because I was protecting him.Unbelievable. I found my wife in her office, her hand under her chin, her other hand on the mouse as she scrolled through the iPad. ¡°What did I tell you?¡± She barely looked at me. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Estelle, turn that thing off, please?¡± She¡¯d been obsessed with readingments and watching videos about her products. She barely slept and ate. I knew how she felt. It¡¯s herpany, and her reputation was on the line. And if there were a bad review from a good source, everything would fall apart like a domino effect. Herpany, her life¡¯s work would be over. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°This is not your fault.¡± I came behind to massage her shoulders. ¡°We¡¯re still looking at all angles to find out what really happened.¡± ¡°Then what happened, baby? I¡¯ve tested the product myself. I didn¡¯t get the same reaction as hers. We have different bodies and will not get the same result, but it doesn¡¯t add up.¡± She paused and stood up. ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°Yes, boss.¡± I opened the door for her. She red before she went out. She took me to her staff. From the stairs, she called out, ¡°Hey guys, may I have your attention, please?¡± Everyone stopped what they were doing. ¡°I need two of you to bring me one box of liquid lipstick the same color as Tatiana used and Stash, please?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go, Estelle, Mrs. Linden,¡± The guy volunteered. ¡°I¡¯ll go with him,¡± said the young woman. ¡°Thanks. We¡¯ll wait for them toe back with the products.¡± A few minutester, they came with two boxes. ¡°Please take one each. One lipstick and one mascara.¡± When at least twenty of them had two products each, Estelle continued, ¡°Open them and start with the lipstick. I¡¯ll tell youter what this is all about.¡± She observed, and I did the same. ¡°At least tell me what you are doing,¡± I whispered to her. ¡°Later. Okay, guys. Open the mascara.¡± They did as she asked. ¡°Use the lipstick, please?¡± They used the product without hesitation, except for the two people. Estelle went to the first two staff who hesitated. ¡°Why did you not use it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I will get the same-¡± ¡°As what happened to Tatiana? What made you think the lipstick would give you an allergic reaction?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°How about you?¡± Estelle asked the nextdy. ¡°I wanna see first if they get what Tatiana got.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m more curious than scared of getting an allergic reaction. I have the free products at home. I¡¯m using it right now.¡± She showed Estelle her lips. ¡°Oh. So you still used it even if you watched what happened to Tatiana?¡± ¡°She could easily tamper it with, changed the lipstick with another. Considering how she opened the box, I couldn¡¯t see the seal. Also, maybe she hates Star and wants to destroy the brand¡¯s good name. I don¡¯t know, Estelle, but I trust yourpany that you do not intend to harm consumers.¡± ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s very kind of you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± ¡°How about you guys? Why didn¡¯t you hesitate?¡± ¡°Same as hers. We actually love the lipstick. I didn¡¯t use it right now, but we are using the free products you gave us,¡± said the one in front. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be here if we didn¡¯t trust you, the scientists, the CEO, and Mrs. Linden,¡± the guy in the pink shirt said. Without a doubt, he was gay. ¡°Thank you, guys. Those are gifts.¡± ¡°So you wanna know if they still trust you?¡± I followed her back to her office. ¡°Yeah. I monitored thements because I wanted to know if someone got the same reaction. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t listen to you.¡± Impressed, I smiled. ¡°What did you find out so far?¡± ¡°None. I¡¯m waiting for the FDA to arrive and confiscate my products. It¡¯s kind of disappointing.¡± ¡°Your confidence is admirable. I saw your post.¡± She still posted a short video about the viral videos. ¡°I still received mixed reactions.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t please and convince anyone. There are still haters out there even if you don¡¯t do anything bad.¡± ¡°Enough that my staff still trusts us.¡± I kissed her head. ¡°You¡¯re the best boss, you know.¡± She sighed. ¡°Mom is giving a statement right now. I told her not to follow the PR. Just say what she wants to say.¡± ¡°Good advice.¡± I sighed as I sat across hers. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I turned to her and smiled. ¡°What made you think there¡¯s something wrong?¡± ¡°Baby, I know you. Even before youe, I know.¡± ¡°Before Ie?¡± My brow arched, amused. ¡°Before you will have your orgasm.¡± I barked out,ughing. ¡°So there¡¯s no way I can fake it?¡± ¡°Sorry. You can¡¯t. Now tell me, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Sax quit.¡± ¡°What?¡± She was shocked. So did I. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t apologized. I haven¡¯t told him about my ns and what happened out there.¡± ¡°But we already talked about it, Gabriel Rembrandt.¡± She looked disappointed. I expected nothing from her. ¡°I¡¯m protecting him, okay? And if he still trusts me, he shouldn¡¯t insist.¡± ¡°Even about Sk? You know he¡¯s interested in her. He needs to know.¡± ¡°Is he?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think so.¡± ¡°Then he¡¯s nning on something if he¡¯s so adamant to know.¡± ¡°He¡¯s your brother. You can¡¯t keep the truth from him. Tell him before youpletely lose another brother, baby. Please?¡± Chapter 74 ESTELLE ¡°You¡¯re gripping my hand too tight.¡± I chuckled. We were about to find out the gender of our baby, and here he was. The hardass I knew was nervous about his baby. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯d never been nervous like this, even fighting bad guys.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you will pass out before hearing our baby¡¯s first cry.¡± ¡°I will try not to, and I already promised to be with you, even during yourbor.¡± He looked at me. He may feel nervous, but those eyes never lied- he was too eager to see and hear his child again. Sometimes, all I wanted was to just stare at him and dream of our future life together. Damn, I¡¯m so madly in love with this man. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, big guy. And I already knew you¡¯re not squeamish with blood.¡± I smiled. I couldn¡¯t believe Linden could be this sweet because when I first saw him, he was like the toughest guy I¡¯d ever met. He looked so hard and rough like he could snap my neck with his fingers. ¡°Are you guys ready?¡± Dr. Chesca just came in. She had other patients before us. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°How about you, Gabe? Are you ready to find out your baby¡¯s gender?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t filled up a list to protect my kid if she¡¯s a girl.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Dr. Chesca chuckled. ¡°I talked to Adleyst week, and she asked me if I have a patient named Estelle. So I figured you guys have met between ourst appointment.¡± ¡°Yeah. Is London your patient, too?¡± ¡°Yes, she is. yboys and bad boys are so protective of their kids. I understand why.¡± Dr. Chesca started her ultrasound. ¡°And good girls always fall for yboys and bad boys.¡± I looked at my husband. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m neither of those.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I raised a brow. ¡°I didn¡¯t date women for seven years.¡± ¡°Just toyed with them, then,¡± Dr. Chesca dered. ¡°Exactly.¡± Iughed. Dr. Chesca joined me, too. ¡°Oh, boy.¡± ¡°Wait. Where having a boy?¡± Linden quickly asked. ¡°You¡¯re having a girl,¡± she gushed. ¡°Congrattions!¡± My heart warmed as I looked at Linden. His gaze was still glued to the screen. ¡°That¡¯s my girl?¡± His voice was low and soft, and he barely blinked as if afraid the image would disappear. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s healthy, and she¡¯s around fourteen weeks old.¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s so fast. I haven¡¯t fully grasped that I will be a father soon. It still feels like a dream. I should invest in her bodyguards and train them like G. I Joes.¡± I pped his arm yfully. ¡°She will be a good girl.¡± ¡°Just like her, mom.¡± He kissed my forehead and touched my tummy. ¡°Easy on your mommy, okay? Don¡¯t give her a hard time.¡± After our doctor¡¯s appointment, I went to my car, but he didn¡¯t let me go yet. He joined me in the backseat. ¡°Don¡¯t you have work, my baby daddy?¡± His smile was sweet, and he really looked happy. ¡°I¡¯m your husband. Thank you, baby.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For giving me a baby girl.¡± ¡°Do you wish it was a boy?¡± ¡°No, baby. I love her whether she¡¯s a boy, a girl, or any gender. That¡¯s our own blood. But she¡¯s not gonna have a boyfriend until thirty.¡± I held his hand and looked at him in the eye. ¡°Stop it. We¡¯ll show her to be a good person like her dad and her aunt Wi. That¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so happy,¡± he said as he hugged me. ¡°I¡¯m overjoyed.¡± ¡°But you have to let me go. I have work waiting for me.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He blinked when his emotions just overwhelmed him. ¡°I¡¯m still working on the case. Don¡¯t work too hard, okay?¡± Before he got out of the car, I cupped his face and kissed him. ¡°Take care. See youter at home.¡± ¡°You¡¯re meeting Skter?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°See youter, baby.¡± He was already outside the car. I rolled the window down. ¡°Call Sax again.¡± ¡°I will.¡± I was about to begin reading the files on my desk at the office when Micah came in. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The legal team and your mom are here.¡± My heart hammered. ¡°Let them in.¡± I fixed my dress before they walked in. Mom looked as confident as ever. ¡°How much we lost?¡± ¡°Nothing can¡¯t be fixed. The sales dropped to forty-five percentpared to the previousunch, but it was not as bad as it looked. We still have consumers that believe in Star and didn¡¯t get the same reaction.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mom. We¡¯ll have a shareholder meeting in three weeks.¡± I turned to my attorneys. ¡°What did they ask?¡± I heard theint reach Mom¡¯s office, but it was not official, and I didn¡¯t waste my time. I knew what she wanted the first time I saw her videos. ¡°We can sit down and settle against them under undisclosed terms,¡± Attorney. Milus suggested. ¡°We¡¯re paying her, and then what? What about the rep she damaged? Because I don¡¯t believe the product is faulty. We¡¯ve tested them because I didn¡¯t want things like this to happen.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a possibility of 1 to 1000 consumers will get the reaction,¡± Atty. Anders said. ¡°That¡¯s true. She posted a video online. A live feed using my product, that¡¯s why I was conducting an investigation, but she didn¡¯t cooperate. I want to bring thisint to court since she posted another video telling everyone that my products are low quality, humiliating me and thepany to thousands, even millions of people. I don¡¯t care how much money I lost. I will fight for mypany.¡± They shared a look. ¡°Very well. We will file a countersue.¡± *** ¡°So, what are you having?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you right now, but I want you to be there at our gender reveal party.¡± The weather was good, so I asked Sk if she could take an hour and meet me for a coffee, andter we could go to the park. She also picked up Emery earlier so he coulde with us. ¡°Do you like your chocte drink, Emery?¡± The boy was a little shy, but he nodded. ¡°Yes, Estelle.¡± ¡°d you like it.¡± We took a seat on the bench, facing the kids ying. Emery watched the kids y. I could see he wanted to go and y with them as well. ¡°Mommy, can I go and y?¡± ¡°Of course. Just don¡¯t go far.¡± ¡°Linden is already working on your case.¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t contacted me.¡± Her gaze never left Emery. Maybe Linden and I would be like her, protective of our child. ¡°I know, but the n is in motion. Have you seen Saxtely?¡± ¡°Yeah. This morning. I saw his car parked outside my apartment, so I invited him for breakfast.¡± She watched Emery y alone with his ball. ¡°That¡¯s good. He was watching your apartment.¡± ¡°Do you think Jake will find us?¡± Sk was careful. I would be more paranoid if I were in her shoes. I understood her, considering she had a kid. ¡°I hope not.¡± I sipped my decaf. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re safe, but always trust your gut if you feel something troubling you. Call us anytime. We will take you and Emery to a safer ce.¡± She touched my hand. ¡°Thanks for doing this and for not being a jealous wife.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I know where I stand, and I trust Gabriel.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a good man. Always is.¡± She suddenly rose to her feet, scanning the surroundings. ¡°Where¡¯s Emery?¡± I scanned, too. His ball might go far. I saw him picking his ball behind us. ¡°He¡¯s there. He might kick the ball hard.¡± I wasn¡¯t finished talking. Sk ran toward her son. I looked at them. Sk just grabbed Emery and gripped his little arm a little harder. She was under a lot of stress. I got that. She was a little harsh, but I still admired her. I didn¡¯t know how she handled her trauma while raising a boy on her own. She came back. This time, with Emery. She blew a breath before she talked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just worried, you know. We¡¯ve been running for years. I changed ces when I suddenly felt like someone was following us. He also had to change schools, and I had to find another job. That¡¯s why when I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I went to Gabe for help. I couldn¡¯t keep running. And this is not good for Emery.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you have to go through all that. It will be over soon. I promise.¡± She smiled tightly. ¡°Thank you, Estelle. You¡¯re so kind.¡± ¡°Mrs. Linden?¡± I lifted my gaze to Qamar. He looked alert. ¡°Yeah? Something wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your husband, ma¡¯am.¡± That was all he said, but I felt like there was something more, something terrifying he was about to drop on me. ¡°What about my husband? Is he okay?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°I¡¯m sorry to cut your break, ma¡¯am, but you have toe with me.¡± With my chest tightening, I stood up and red at him. ¡°Tell me if he¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°He¡¯s-¡± ¡°What? Talk!¡± I was already raising my voice, but I felt like he was listening to someone in hism. ¡°He has shortness of breath and chest pain.¡± ¡°I-I.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say as I looked at Qamar and Sk. ¡°Go,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I have to go.¡± I grabbed my bag and was ready to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. Go, see your husband.¡± Even if I wasn¡¯t done talking, Qamar already had his hand around my arm. ¡°I¡¯ll call you.¡± I watched Sk hold her son, but my mind was on Linden. Qamar quickly unlocked the car and opened the backseat door for me without even a word. Once I was in the backseat, he went to the driver¡¯s seat and drove fast to the main street like a lunatic. Everything happened so fast that I even forgot to put my seatbelt on until he informed me. ¡°Where¡¯s Gabriel now, Qamar? What really happened?¡± ¡°Take your call, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Oh, God. He must be calling. I silenced my phone when I met Sk.¡± I fished out my phone, and Linden was calling me. My heart was in my throat as I answered the call. ¡°Baby? Gabriel, are you okay?¡± ¡°Where are you now?¡± He sounded okay, not wishing he was sick, but I was d to hear his voice. ¡°I¡¯m with Qamar on the way to you. I thought you were not feeling well. What¡¯s going on, Gabriel?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk at Sax¡¯s house. Qamar is driving you here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re with Sax? Is he okay? Why are we meeting there? Are you okay? What¡¯s going on? You¡¯re making me nervous, Gabriel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, baby. Everything is gonna be okay. Just rx. I will tell you everything once you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Oh, thank God. You made me worried. I had to leave Sk at the park.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most fantastic news I¡¯ve heard today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do something like that again. I swear I¡¯m getting a heart attack at thirty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my love, but I want you to get away from her as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Why? What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not what I thought she was, baby. I should have just trusted my gut.¡± Chapter 75 LINDEN Months ago, I envied my best friends. And I was just dreaming of having a family on my own. I wasn¡¯t religious, but I always prayed in my heart to give what was good for me and that His timing was right. He blessed me with a good family. I got the chance to serve my country. I met my best friends. He gave me the best job. I found my second family in my brothers. Then I met the woman who made my heart beat again. I was blessed with a child- my baby girl. I couldn¡¯t ask for more than the safety of my family. I called my father. He was the first person I could think of because it was a dreame true for both of us- me building a family of my own. ¡°Pops?¡± ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. Everything is perfect.¡± The moment Estelle and I found out our baby¡¯s gender, I was smiling like a fool the whole time. ¡°That¡¯s great news.¡± ¡°We just found out the sex of our baby, but Estelle wants to keep it a secret. I thought I wanna share the good news I have. For the past few days, things have been pretty crazy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be a good father, son. You have a good heart. That¡¯s why God gave you a good wife and blessed you with a beautiful baby. I know they are going to be beautiful.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s in the genes?¡± My fatherughed. ¡°That too. I¡¯m happy for you, son. Truly. I hope Wi will find a good man and be happy as you are.¡± ¡°In time, Pops. Let her enjoy her single life. She¡¯s happy right now.¡± My sister married her college boyfriend at twenty-one. I disagreed at first, but Wi was happy until that fucker cheated on her and broke my sister¡¯s heart. Watching your sister go through that pain and agony broke your heart, too, and you would learn something from it. ¡°I know, son. So you¡¯re not going to tell me my grandchild¡¯s gender?¡± Iughed. Lynx stole a nce at me over the rare view. ¡°Not right now. I¡¯m sure Estelle and I will arrange a small party for our families.¡± ¡°Yeah. Kids nowadays. Gender reveal has apparently be a thing.¡± ¡°Thank you, Pops.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For everything.¡± ¡°I love you, son. I may not give you the world, but the world came to you.¡± ¡°I love you, Pops. I have to go. I¡¯m going to see Sax.¡± ¡°Alright, Gabe. Keep me posted. I missed Estelle. I might drop by one of these days.¡± ¡°She¡¯d be happy to hear that. Bye, Pops.¡± I hung up the call just the time Lynx parked the car in front of Sax¡¯s house. That dude had an American Craftsman house he inherited from his grandparents, and he lived there alone. ¡°Nice. I couldn¡¯t see Sax living in this neighborhood. I thought of him as an apartment type of mate.¡± ¡°He got it from his grandparents, who raised him. He lost his mother at a young age. He took care of his father, who was in and out of the hospital until he died almost three years ago.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry for Sax.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a tough guy.¡± I went to pick up the key under the pot. Of course, Sax was predictable. I unlocked his door and redialed his phone. ¡°He¡¯s not picking up,¡± I informed Lynx. ¡°Could be busy with a beaut.¡± ¡°He just quit. It doesn¡¯t sound like him. I¡¯m worried, Lynx.¡± I entered the house and went to his kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just pissed off, blows steam for a few days. He¡¯ll eventuallye back. That¡¯s what brothers do sometimes.¡± ¡°He was here.¡± I looked at the sink. ¡°His cup looked like a day old.¡± ¡°At least he doesn¡¯t get drunk take himself to an underground fight.¡± ¡°Why would he do that?¡± ¡°He¡¯d been looking up to you for years. You¡¯re his hero, mate.¡± He went to check the fridge and then opened some cupboards. ¡°Do you realize he¡¯s just two years younger than me?¡± ¡°Exactly. He looked at you as his big brother, his best friend, and would do anything for you. I know I¡¯m the newbie, the rookie in the ss, but I observed. Ryder and Wilder respect and admire you a lot. If you ask them to jump off the cliff, they won¡¯t ask why. They will do it in a fucking heartbeat.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Sax doesn¡¯t take my call. He quit, and I¡¯m worried about him. I don¡¯t know where he is. Kye hasn¡¯t seen him in two days.¡± I walked out of the kitchen. ¡°He¡¯s just upset.¡± The living room seemed untouched. I didn¡¯t want to check his bedroom. It was invading his privacy, even for a best friend. ¡°Mate, Sax ising.¡± Lynx peeked through the window. He was right. Sax just parked the car and got out. His face changed the moment he recognized our sedan. I rushed out of his door. ¡°Sax!¡± ¡°What the fuck are you doing in my house?¡± His jaw locked, narrowing his eyes at me when he noticed Lynx get out of his door. ¡°With your new buddy. Great. I should call the cops and file for trespassing on my property.¡± He was still pissed off. Lynx was probably right, and I let Sax down. ¡°Can we talk?¡± I asked calmly. ¡°You had your chance, Linden, and I¡¯m not working for you anymore, so you can¡¯t boss me around. In fact, I¡¯m selling my share.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act impulsively. I know you¡¯re mad-¡± The car door opened and stopped me. The moment I recognized the man who jumped out of his car, I was alreadyunching into him, but Sax caught me before my fist hit Jake Boyd¡¯s face. ¡°What the fuck, Sax? Get off of me.¡± ¡°Boss, calm down.¡± Lynx locked me off. Jake stepped back away from me. He better be, or I would punch him in the eye as soon as I got a chance. ¡°Motherfucker!¡± I turned to Sax. ¡°You¡¯ve been dodging my calls because you¡¯ve been with him all this time? You know how worried I was when I couldn¡¯t find you, and you are just having tea with this rapist.¡± ¡°I am not a rapist,¡± Jake grunted. He gripped his fists tight, too. ¡°Oh, yeah. Let¡¯s see. I¡¯m calling the cops.¡± My rage still filled my chest. My body vibrated with anger, and I didn¡¯t know what to do with it. I fished out my phone. ¡°Linden, stop!¡± Sax rushed to take my phone and held my arms. ¡°Why? Give me a reason why?¡± I was more pissed at Sax than Jake. Why would he go with him and defend a man who ruined my rtionship? ¡°I don¡¯t understand you. What the fuck are you doing with this piece of shit who molested Sk?¡± ¡°Do you trust me? Even just a tiny bit?¡± He held my arm. ¡°Brother?¡± I looked at Sax directly in his eyes. ¡°You know I do.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get in the house, and don¡¯t try punching him. Just trust me. It¡¯s not worth your strength. Save it because you¡¯re gonna need it.¡± I was still confused. My anger still shook my bones, boiling my blood, but I had to give him a chance. I kept my eyes on that asshole as he waited for Sax to get something in the car. I didn¡¯t move until they both walked towards the door. ¡°Boss, let¡¯s get inside,¡± Lynx said.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. I loudly exhaled my anger and fixed my suit. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have stopped me.¡± ¡°Listen to what Sax is about to tell you. This is your chance to fix your rtionship with him. Then you¡¯re free to do whatever you want with that guy.¡± I followed Lynx inside. Jake remained standing beside the window while Sax was already seated. ¡°Exin, Ryder.¡± ¡°Sk has been lying to us the whole time. It was a part of her maniptive bitchy n.¡± ¡°Are you hearing yourself right now, Sax? Is that what he told you? And you believed him?¡± I pointed at Jake with his arms crossed over his chest. ¡°Do you think I would just believe someone I don¡¯t know telling me some shit? You know me better than that.¡± ¡°What are you trying to imply?¡± ¡°And since when did I let you down? Since when did I believe without proof? I¡¯m the most cynical of all of us. You know that. I believe him because he showed me this evidence.¡± He pped down the file on the coffee table. Lynx sat down across from him and took the file. I could see from where I stood. That was birth certificates, medical bills, clippings, and bank statements. ¡°Sax went to my house. I almost shot him, but I also have an idea why he was there.¡± ¡°Did I ask you if you could talk?¡± I narrowed my eyes at Jake. ¡°Why would she create such a story?¡± I grabbed the birth certificate from Lynx. ¡°Check that out,¡± Sax pressed. I read the information. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Then I realized the parents on the birth certificate and the year the boy was born. ¡°His name is Everette Ss Boyd. My son,¡± Jake confirmed it. I swallowed hard. The certificate was legit. The registry date and all. ¡°Why did Sk tell us you molested her?¡± ¡°You better tell everyone to stay away from her.¡± Sax stood up and came to me. ¡°Fuck.¡± I quickly dialed Estelle. ¡°Estelle is with her right now.¡± My call went to her voicemail. I groaned, shaking uncontrobly. My stomach twisted with dread. ¡°Fuck.¡± ¡°Call Q, Lynx.¡± ¡°On it, boss.¡± I looked at Jake. ¡°What did she do?¡± ¡°I know what I did was wrong. I knew you two were dating, but it didn¡¯t do her a lot of persuasion. And I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± My jaw clenched because I felt I was going to hate Sk even more. She manipted me, my wife, and everyone in my family. They believed in her story, and I let myself believe she was the victim. I should have allowed Kye to dig further into her criminal record. That way, there was no reason for her to lie. ¡°She got pregnant. She said she would handle her situation and her rtionship with you. I let her. We lived together for three years. She was a good mom to Everette, then she just snapped. She saw you on TV with that kidnapping incident. Since then, she never stopped obsessing about you. We started fighting. She got physical.¡± Jake lifted his shirt, showing me a scar on his left abdomen. ¡°She did that?¡± I asked in shock, swallowing hard. Goosebumps erupted all over my skin. If she could do that to a man, what could she do to a fragile pregnant woman? ¡°Yeah, with a bread knife.¡± ¡°Jesus Christ.¡± I turned my head to Lynx. My heart kept hammering in my chest. I could barely breathe. I was scared for Estelle. She didn¡¯t know anything about what Sk was capable of. ¡°Are you able to contact Q?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s talking to your wife now. He has to lie to her to get away quickly. His son is with them.¡± I quickly gestured to Jake to stop talking. ¡°They¡¯re on the way.¡± I briefly closed my eyes and let go of a shuddering breath. ¡°Thank you, lord.¡± Chapter 76 ESTELLE ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± I barely sat my foot on the ground when I saw Linden and Lynx approaching us. ¡°Baby. Thank God.¡± Linden sprinted in my direction and hugged me tight as if I just dunked a dead trap. ¡°God, woman, you¡¯re the death of me.¡± He cupped my face, kissed me on the lips and forehead, and hugged me again. ¡°I think you¡¯re crushing my chest, Gabriel.¡± I chuckled but was still in the dark about what was happening. When he tore from me, I asked him, ¡°What do you mean by what you said earlier? And you sounded so terrified.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± ¡°So you and Sax are okay? Is this his house?¡± ¡°Not sure, but yes. This is his house.¡± He didn¡¯t let go of my hand. ¡°Nice. Homey. He should find a woman to live with him. And here I thought he¡¯s more of an apartment kind of guy,¡± I said as I followed Linden. I instantly saw Sax. I went to him to hug him. ¡°I missed you too, baby mommy.¡± He hugged me, too. ¡°Please be okay now with Gabriel.¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t apologized,¡± he whispered to me. I smiled. ¡°He will.¡± Then I realized he had a guest. ¡°That¡¯s Boyd.¡± Linden just dropped it on me. I stared at him, feeling my foot rooted to the ground. ¡°The Boyd-¡± I swallowed. ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s been development.¡± ¡°Why is he here?¡± Unblinking, I asked. My voice was shaky. ¡°What development?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still trying to put pieces together, but Sax knows the whole story.¡± Linden let me sit next to him.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± ¡°Me too, baby.¡± He gestured to Jake to sit down. ¡°Can you tell us what happened?¡± ¡°She started following you on social media. I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t even notice. She started collecting clippings, videos, and pictures of you, checking updates of you online. Our rtionship began falling apart. From a good mother, she neglected Everette.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Everette?¡± Linden gave me a document. ¡°Is this Emery¡¯s?¡± I looked at Jake. He nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I loved her, and it hurt that she was obsessed with another man. Maybe it was Karma for breaking you two up. But the worst part was she never tried hiding her obsession from me. We fought a lot about you. When she said she never loved me, and she still loved you, that was it. I¡¯m done. I went out and got drunk. When I went home.¡± He averted his gaze toward the window. Guilt was stered all over his face. I felt this man¡¯s pain through and through. He blew a breath before he continued, ¡°Everette fell down the stairs. He¡¯d been crying there, broke his arm.¡± A gasp escaped from my lips. My hand flew to my mouth, and I just cried. I could imagine Emery or Everette lying on the floor with broken arms, helpless. I rubbed the goosebumps off my arms. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± I¡¯d never been a mother and was about to be one. I knew it would be a tough job requiring a lot of patience, but I couldn¡¯t breathe just thinking of my child getting hurt. ¡°Hey. It¡¯s okay,¡± Linden whispered as he ced his hand on top of mine. ¡°I picked up my boy from the floor, almost-¡± He struggled to talk. ¡°His mother was just in the room with her headset listening to music.¡± ¡°Jesus Christ.¡± That was all Linden said, but I felt his muscles straining, trying his best to control himself. ¡°Why would she make that story, Gabriel?¡± ¡°She wants my attention, and she got it. I believed her. She used my rtionship with her as my Achilles heel. And she knew I have a soft spot for women who have a lot of struggles and trauma. I introduced her to my family. I let her into my life. Again. I asked my wife to be nice to her because I thought-¡± My husband began ming himself. ¡°I thought she was the victim. How could I not see this? I should have let Kye check her name on the database.¡± ¡°I did not file aint. The doctor didn¡¯t believe me. I mean, I served the country. People looked at me as the tough guy, and I just ended up being stabbed by a woman with a bread knife. I still have self-preservation. Then, when I brought my boy to the hospital, she told everyone that I hade home drunk, and my boy fell. She med me. So, everyone turned their backs on me and thought I had PTSD. She stole my kid from me, Linden. They¡¯ve been hiding for years, and I¡¯ve been searching for them since then. I know it¡¯s only a matter of time before shees to you. I don¡¯t know what took her long enough when she¡¯s been obsessed with you for years.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s just recently made himself famous,¡± Sax said. ¡°I¡¯ve been right all along,¡± Linden confessed and shook his head in dismay. ¡°I know that day we bumped into each other. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence, but I still fell for her lies.¡± ¡°I want my son back,¡± Jake pointed it out. Linden turned to Qamar. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s spooked?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, boss.¡± Qamar shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s paranoid. She said she¡¯s scared Jake might find her ce.¡± I suddenly remembered how she acted that day and how she grabbed Everette today at the park. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been acting the whole time, but we just fell to her maniption. She¡¯s good. Damn it.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± Sax shifted in his seat. ¡°I fell for her sandwich and smiled. Jesus.¡± ¡°When she came to my office, she was surprised I was married. I didn¡¯t make any announcement, but I saw something in her eyes. I thought maybe she was guilty of what she did, or maybe she still has feelings for me.¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s that woman.¡± Jake fisted his hands, his knuckles turning white. ¡°I hired a private investigator, but that piece of shit is greedy. I fired him.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why she never allowed Everette to hold a phone,¡± I told him. ¡°Yeah. The boy. Your son is in good health, but I think he¡¯s afraid of his mother. I can see that now how he talked to us,¡± Linden admitted. ¡°Where is she?¡± Jake stood up. ¡°She¡¯s using an alias,¡± Sax said. ¡°What the fuck? How did you know?¡± my husband asked. ¡°Kye couldn¡¯t connect the dots. She uses her alias on her credit card and at her work as Jenna Brand, but to us, she¡¯s Sk.¡± ¡°We will take your son, Jake. You will have him soon. How can I know you¡¯re not also a bad guy?¡± Good question. Chapter 77 ESTELLE After how Sk easily manipted us, I didn¡¯t know if I could trust him even if I saw the evidence. He could easily exploit these pieces of paper to get into his ex and his son- this was what a psychopath would do. Or they could be both crazy. Look at what paranoia could do and affect someone¡¯s state of mind. My muscles tensed as I stared at Jake. ¡°Jake makes a good living. I was in his bar. Everyone is his friends. That¡¯s how you know he¡¯s a good person. His house is clean. I saw pictures of Everette in his home. He doesn¡¯t have a woman in his life. He doesn¡¯t drink. He has a good amount in his bank ount and pays his tax on time.¡± ¡°How did you know that?¡± Jake asked Sax. ¡°But when a woman uses two names? That¡¯s a red g. When she asked me for breakfast, I saw her ID. I realized she¡¯s been lying to us. She doesn¡¯t have furniture other than a couch and a TV. I didn¡¯t have time to check her kitchen and the bathroom, but her ID caught me off guard.¡± Linden stood up and dialed someone on his phone. His stance spoke a lot. ¡°Boss, I think I might be wrong about Sk.¡± I lifted my gaze to him, somehow relieved. Now I knew he was calling Moses and probably confirming Jake¡¯s story. ¡°What? Are you sure? How did you know?¡± Linden asked. The rm in his voice was enough for everyone in the room to get his attention. ¡°Who¡¯s he talking to?¡± Jake asked Sax. ¡°The big boss. Moses Braddson.¡± ¡°Of the Hover?¡± Of course, it always attached to his name and came down to the multi-billion dorpany that made Moses Braddson the wealthiest man alive. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Okay, boss. Thanks.¡± He hung up the phone and looked at Jake. ¡°How do I get my son back? I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re going to help me?¡± He didn¡¯t only look at Linden but at Sax as well. ¡°I will pay you.¡± ¡°Yes, I will help you. We will help you, and I don¡¯t want your money,¡± My husband gave him a confident reply. ¡°I almost destroyed your life. Take it as my apology.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Apparently, Skmitted Identity fraud and Identity Theft from a woman who had been dead ten years ago. Jenna Brand. The sister received some receipts from the banks. That¡¯s how she figured out someone was using her dead sister¡¯s identity.¡± He looked at Sax to confirm the name. ¡°She also has an assault charge from a man who found out who she was while in LA, maybe the guy she dated. NCIS stopped the investigation against you.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve been breathing down my neck and investigating me? Why?¡± Jake looked offended. ¡°There are no official charges yet. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t charge me with anything anyway.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but they already forwarded an active case to the NYPD to formally charge Sk. Then, the FBI will probably take over the case. You will get your son very soon.¡± ¡°Oh, Thank God.¡± He finally smiled with teary eyes. ¡°I miss my son so much. He should know that I never stop looking for him.¡± ¡°Tell him once you have him,¡± I told Jake. When Linden came back to sit down beside me, I nudged him. Now it was the time. He didn¡¯t have any more excuses. ¡°Sax, can we talk?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gonnae back, man.¡± Well, that was fast. I just watched Linden flinch. ¡°Why? What is your n then?¡± ¡°None of your fucking business.¡± I rolled my eyes at Linden. ¡°For God¡¯s sake, just apologize already.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Jake asked. ¡°This asshole thinks he owns me.¡± Sax pointed his finger at Linden. ¡°What do you mean? I thought we were brothers. We were best friends. I¡¯m just protecting you.¡± ¡°Protecting me? If I didn¡¯t quit, how do you think I found out about Sk? Until now, she¡¯s still lying to your face and your wife, using you all. She could have put Estelle and your kid in danger.¡± ¡°Thank you. I owe you a lot, And I don¡¯t even thank you often.¡± Linden stood up, stepping towards Sax. ¡°Best friends? Brothers? We don¡¯t do that, but keeping secrets, you think you¡¯re protecting me, no, man. Keeping me in the dark doesn¡¯t work for us. You¡¯re doing more harm than keeping us safe. You should know that. We¡¯ve been through hell together. I thought you¡¯ve learned that already.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What did you say? I didn¡¯t quite catch that.¡± He tipped his ear to Linden. Smiling, I rolled my eyes. ¡°Jeez. I¡¯m his wife, and I don¡¯t do that.¡± Lynx and Q chuckled, fist-bumping together. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°What about the secrets?¡± ¡°I already said about the NCIS investigation. I thought you liked Sk. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell you. I don¡¯t want your emotions to affect the investigation.¡± ¡°Emotions? I don¡¯t like her. I mean.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I was okay with it.¡± ¡°She lied, and she crept me out. Forget about it.¡± He shivered. ¡°Jesus.¡± ¡°Good, because you are my brother, and you deserve better a good woman, and she needs my approval before she can date you. Like Hope.¡± ¡°God, I¡¯m gonna puke.¡± I faked my gag. ¡°The other secret.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ssified.¡± ¡°Then no. I¡¯m noting back.¡± ¡°If you ept the COO position, we can dessify it.¡± Sax tried not to smile, but he was failing. ¡°Wait. For real?¡± ¡°Do I look like I joke about a job position like COO?¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m the COO now?¡± ¡°Technically, not yet. You should sign a contract first, but the position is yours if you want it?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your first choice?¡± ¡°Call me nepo, but it was yours, asshole.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sax still yed hard to get. ¡°You want it or not?¡± Linden huffed, showing him as if he was exhausted. ¡°I love you, too, brother.¡± Sax justunched into Linden and hugged him tight with a huge grin on his face. ¡°I can¡¯t unsee this.¡± I rose from my seat and went to his kitchen. ¡°Sax, at least offer us something to drink, silly.¡± The next thing I knew, I was crashed into a tight hug from behind. ¡°I love you, too, mommy-o.¡± ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m thirsty.¡± I tried, but not hard, to get loose from his hug as Iughed silently. ¡°That¡¯s my wife. You¡¯re squeezing, Ryder.¡± My husband came, saving me from turning into a lemon. ¡°I love you, brother.¡± ¡°I know, pighead.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m gonna be the new COO. You¡¯re not messing with me, right? And I can still go on assignment.¡± ¡°Well, you have a business management degree, and I know you¡¯re taking an online master¡¯s degree, but don¡¯t screw this, Sax.¡± ¡°Man, I¡¯m the new COO.¡± He suddenly pretended to hold out his hand and said, Sax Ryder, COO, Osmium Resource Group.¡± Linden and I shared a look before we barked outughing.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Jesus. I think I just regret hiring him.¡± ¡°I heard that.¡± Sax narrowed his eyes at him. ¡°I¡¯m just on cloud nine, man.¡± ¡°Knock it off, Ryder.¡± Chapter 78 LINDEN I¡¯d made a lot of mistakes in my life, but this time, I almost ruined a man¡¯s life, a father to a little boy, because I let my emotions get the best of me. Maybe a past should be left in the past. And I should have just followed my gut. ¡°When you¡¯re silent like this, I know there¡¯s a lot going on in your head.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I kissed her hand. ¡°I almost ruined his life. Even if the court acquits him for theck of evidence, his name has already been disgraced. I couldn¡¯t help but look back at how my life was simple back then. Sometimes, having this kind of position always puts me in the tough spot, decision-making that involves life, and I don¡¯t wanna make that decision again.¡± ¡°Hey. you can¡¯t me yourself. You always have a blind spot regarding the people you care about. Everyone does.¡± ¡°I hated her for years. Then, I began to care because I thought she was a victim. She used it to get my sympathy, to manipte me. She blindsided me, Estelle. I won¡¯t let it go. I jeopardized your life, our baby, and everyone because I let her into my life.¡± I cringed and wanted to take an hour of shower to get rid of Sk¡¯s touch. ¡°She¡¯s once in your life, Gabriel. She knows your weak spot- family, women, loved ones, and best friends. She knows you¡¯re the type of guy willing to risk your life to help people, and she took advantage of that. And you have a good heart. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. You just gave your trust to the wrong person.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I pulled Estelle close to me, but it felt like it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°I will never put you in that situation again. I thought I would give us a second chance to be friends, but she betrayed me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that. I know how much you¡¯re trying to keep us all safe, but life is full of risk and shits that everyone takes once in a while. What is important now is we find out before it¡¯s toote. You¡¯re not perfect, and people around us know that. Don¡¯t me yourself for who you are, for having a big heart, for being kind.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s not afraid of evidence and the case going to the court.¡± ¡°Maybe her n is only to get your attention and protection, and then she won¡¯t pursue the case. I don¡¯t know. She doesn¡¯t think like us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just d that you¡¯re here with me. I don¡¯t know what to do without you.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Live.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna live without you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± She turned and faced me. ¡°I know I won¡¯t go anywhere, but if something-¡± ¡°No.¡± I pressed a finger against her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk something like that.¡± She took my hand off her lips. ¡°If something happens to me, you will live for our daughter, okay?¡± ¡°No. I said, we only talk about good things.¡± ¡°Stubborn.¡± Her smile was pure, reaching her eyes. ¡°What should we name our baby?¡± ¡°Maybe Estelle Junior.¡± She barked out,ughing. ¡°Really? We couldn¡¯t think of any names other than Estelle.¡± ¡°I like your name, Estelle Rae Sce.¡± ¡°And you are Gabriel Rembrandt. Maybe Gabrielle Rae Rembrandt dwyn Linden.¡± I closed my gaping mouth and blinked. ¡°That¡¯s beautiful, baby. I love it.¡± *** ¡°Try this one.¡± My father scooped a scallop ceviche with Aguachile to Estelle¡¯s te. She took a small piece with a fork and put it in her mouth. ¡°Gosh. It¡¯s so good. The herbs, lime, and the green chili. Delicious.¡± ¡°I love it that you eat everything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s food, and I¡¯m already turning into a baby elephant.¡± She showed her abdomen. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, honey, in any size.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m still fat and your son left me after birth, I will me your food.¡± ¡°Seriously, Estelle? Do you think it¡¯s going to happen?¡± I showed her my wedding ring. ¡°This infinite piece is a symbol of ourmitment. As long as I haven¡¯t hurt you, I won¡¯t let you go, but if, in any circumstances, I raise my hand on you, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t keep you because I won¡¯t tolerate that and myself, and that¡¯s not the man you married.¡± ¡°Aw. That¡¯s sweet.¡± She cupped my face and kissed me in front of my father. I thought I just blushed. My father couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You kids will be parents, and it won¡¯t be easy. Just hang on to the vows and your love for each other. The kid is the blessing of your rtionship. So trust each other. You will be all right.¡± Before I could reply, my phone rang. I didn¡¯t know who the caller was, so I answered, ¡°Linden.¡± ¡°Gabe? Gabe, can you hear me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sk,¡± I mouthed to Estelle and gave her a silent sign. Estelle stopped and ced the fork on the table as she watched me with wide eyes. ¡°Sk?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in trouble. I need your help, Gabe. Please?¡± There was a tremble in her voice, and she was talking in a rush. ¡°What happened? Where are you? What do you mean you¡¯re in trouble?¡± I watched Dad and Estelle as they listened to me. Dad knew everything. I told him. I was expecting him to me me, but surprisingly, he understood. He said the people around me were my weakness, and women with stories like that always got someone¡¯s sympathy. ¡°The police came to my apartment and arrested me. I don¡¯t know. It just happened so fast. Emery. He¡¯s alone, Gabe. Please, you have to help me. I need to get out of here. Emery is going to be alone. I need you now, Gabe, more than anything.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± I hung up the call when she told me where the precinct was held. ¡°Do you think she knows that we know her secret?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± I was about to dial Sax, but Kye was calling me. ¡°It¡¯s Kye.¡± ¡°You heard?¡± ¡°No. I was there watching when the cops went to her apartment.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Emery?¡± ¡°With the neighbor, but I already called Sax. The kid knows him. How did you know?¡± ¡°She called me and asked for my help.¡± ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to see her. Before I will do anything, I need her confession.¡± ¡°Be careful, man. She¡¯s a liar and a maniptive bitch.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I looked at my wife. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± She stood up and hugged my father. ¡°Thank you, Pops.¡± ¡°Anytime. If he¡¯s starving you, drop by anytime.¡± At the police station, the officer recognized me. ¡°You¡¯re a friend of Mykel Creed.¡± ¡°Yes, officer.¡± ¡°Can I help you-¡± ¡°It¡¯s Linden.¡± ¡°Mr. Linden.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see Sk Davis.¡± ¡°Ah, the woman is charged with identity theft and fraud. She will be turned over to the FBI in the morning.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a few minutes with her. She may need a goodwyer.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I looked at my wife. ¡°You don¡¯t have toe with me.¡± ¡°No, Gabriel. I wanna look her in the eye as she admits her mistakes.¡± Chapter 79 LINDEN The officer opened the door to the room. Sk wasn¡¯t there yet. ¡°We can leave if you feel ufortable around her,¡± I told Estelle. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I wish I could p her. I was really nice and genuine to her, and she exploited my kindness. If we didn¡¯t find out, I¡¯m afraid she would do something to tear us apart, maybe create a story and make me look like the bad guy or a jealous wife. Or maybe drug you and pretend you sleep with her.¡± ¡°What the fuck? Where did that ideae from?¡± My eyebrows furrowed. I wanted to throw up just thinking of waking up next to Sk. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think like that. Nothing can tear us apart, okay?¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t know that, and you once trusted her. Given that she¡¯s a bitch who has been obsessed with you, it¡¯s possible and could be a part of her failed n.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen, baby. I know you won¡¯t do anything to hurt me. And I trust you with everything. And you know that I would never do something to hurt you.¡± Sk walked in with her cuffs and let her sit across us. She looked terrified, and at the same time, I didn¡¯t feel anything towards her anymore, even sympathy, but disgust. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Is my son okay?¡± Her eyes widened with hope as she saw us. I didn¡¯t know if she was still acting or if she thought we hadn¡¯t figured out her secrets. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s with your neighbor.¡± ¡°You have to get me out of here.¡± She reached out her hands in cuffs. ¡°Your case. How did that happen?¡± ¡°When Jake started looking for us.¡± There you go, the lie again, the maniption. ¡°I changed my name. I swear, it was only to keep us safe.¡± ¡°Did you falsify your documents when you applied for the job?¡± ¡°It was to-¡± ¡°What about your son?¡± ¡°Emery has to go to school.¡± Of course, she always had answers to every question. She did stalk me and studied who she would be before we met.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°You mean Everette Boyd.¡± Her face was ashen. Her eyes widened as she realized now that I knew everything. ¡°I have a multi-million dorpany that partners with Hover Defense and Security. Do you think I wouldn¡¯t find out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± She began crying. Surprisingly, I was calm, maybe because the truth had set me free. ¡°Stop lying into my face, Sk, or is it Jenna Brand? I know the truth. I know everything that you did.¡± ¡°So you did this to me? I thought you cared about me. I know you still care about me, Gabe.¡± ¡°I did not do anything. I merely found out your lies. You did this to yourself.¡± ¡°I did not to you. I swear.¡± ¡°You lied to my face multiple times. I can forget about that, but using me to ruin a man¡¯s life, using him of rape? That¡¯s below the belt, Sk. I have evidence. Jake presented me with the birth certificate-¡± ¡°He¡¯s a liar. He lied to you. That¡¯s what he does.¡± Even if she cried a river, I would not feel guilty, and she had to pay for her crimes. ¡°Yeah, did he also lie about the scar on his abdomen? He stabbed himself, right? To make it look believable, that makes you the bad guy.¡± Her eyes bulged as she shook her head in denial. ¡°No, no, no.¡± ¡°No, what? Did he also lie about your obsessions over me? So, almost running me over with your car was your n, after all. You gave me your number at the party and pretended to be my wife while I fought for my life. It¡¯s fine by me, but hurting my wife¡¯s feelings, you came into my life, manipting my family? I can¡¯t let that one go. Jake will have full custody of his son. I¡¯ll make sure of that.¡± I rose to my feet and helped my wife. ¡°Gabe, please?¡± She tried to reach out, but she was handcuffed to the table. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me.¡± Before we walked out of the door, she called my name again. ¡°I still love you, Gabe. You have to believe me.¡± I couldn¡¯t listen to her lies. It made me sick. I shook my head in disbelief as we walked out of that room. At the Osmium, Sax had the boy with him. ¡°I called Jake. He¡¯s on the way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great news. I went to see Sk.¡± ¡°Why the fuck did you do that?¡± Sax narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°I wanted to see if she would still lie.¡± ¡°And she never disappoints?¡± His expression quickly changed, smirking at me. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s sick in the head if she thinks she can still lie to me.¡± I breathed deeply. ¡°I¡¯m d it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± ¡°Hey, Everette. That¡¯s your name, right?¡± Estelle talked to the kid. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re free now. You can be Everette, who isn¡¯t afraid of anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared of Mommy.¡± His words made us share looks with Sax and Estelle. ¡°Hey, bud.¡± I held his arm. ¡°Your mommy will go to a ce-¡± ¡°The cops took her.¡± So he talked and understood. I felt terrible for this little guy. For a young age, he¡¯d been through a lot. When I looked at his arm, I now saw the scar. ¡°Yeah. She needs to stay with the cops for a while to learn something.¡± ¡°I know what does it means.¡± ¡°Good. So you will be with your daddy. Is not okay?¡± ¡°Daddy? I will see Daddy today?¡± Those innocent eyes lit up, dancing with excitement. ¡°Bad hormones.¡± My wife sobbed beside me. ¡°Yes. He will be here in a few minutes.¡± ¡°I missed Daddy. Mommy didn¡¯t want me to see Daddy. She said Daddy hurt us, and he¡¯s a bad guy.¡± ¡°Buddy, listen to me.¡± I rubbed his arms. ¡°Mommy and Daddy fought each other, and they are not friends, but it doesn¡¯t mean Daddy is a bad guy, okay?¡± ¡°I know.¡± He shrugged his little shoulders. ¡°Dad used to take me fishing, and we watched baseball games together. We can do that again, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Well, look at you.¡± Sax gripped Linden¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Now you just be a father.¡± ¡°Thanks, Sax. That¡¯s kind of you.¡± I wanted to roll my eyes, but I was in front of a kid. ¡°He actually talks a lot.¡± Even Estelle noticed it, hugging Everette. The door swung open. Jake walked in, searching for the boy. ¡°Where¡¯s my son?¡± ¡°Daddy!¡± Once in Estelle¡¯s arms, the boy threw himself at his father, proving that Jake was the good guy. ¡°After all the stress, that¡¯s the best thing that happened today.¡± Estelle cried on my shoulder as she watched the father and son reunite. With Everette still in Jake¡¯s arms, he turned to me. ¡°Thank you. This wouldn¡¯t have happened without your help.¡± ¡°On the other hand, even if Sk used me and my family, something happened right. You got your son back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what she did. You could have just walked away. Instead, you helped me after what I did to you. You¡¯re a good man, Linden.¡± ¡°Just spend time with your son. Everette missed you. You should take him to a baseball game.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Everette said. ¡°Aw. I¡¯m d you¡¯re back with your dad, Everette.¡± Estelle touched the boy¡¯s head, smiling down at him. ¡°Thank you, too, Estelle.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± ¡°Rider, thank you.¡± Jake shook hands with Sax and with me. Then he turned to my wife. ¡°He¡¯s a good man. Treasure him.¡± Chapter 80 ESTELLE ¡°I have the result.¡± Micah waved the envelope in my face. I grabbed it from her and quickly ripped the envelope open. The red liquid lipstick and the Stash mascara Tatiana usedy upon the result. If this was contaminated orced with any toxic substance, we had to pull out from all suppliers, retailers, and resellers, including all shops, and stop the production. My heart hammered even if I knew our products were top qualities. I unfolded the envelope. As soon as I read the report, I closed my eyes and smiled. ¡°What does it say?¡± ¡°Get this bitch!¡± I waved it in her face, making herugh.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°I have no doubt!¡± Micah yelled in my office. ¡°Me too. Put the paper on my table. I have to picture that and post it on my Ig. I wanna show the people that we don¡¯t y around here.¡± ¡°Do it.¡± ¡°Damn, I wanna shove this piece of paper into her face. She ruined mypany. Now it¡¯s payback time, bitch.¡± After I took the photo, I quickly uploaded it on my Instagram with a three three-word caption. Honesty. Quality. Transparency. I called Mom. ¡°Honey?¡± ¡°I have the result of the test with me. Our product is clean. The test came negative for any toxins, so whatever happened to that woman either to sabotage us, or she¡¯s allergic to one of theponents. I will sue her ass, but first, I need to know where she bought the products.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t she cooperate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s another thing, Mom. I have to see Gabriel. They¡¯re still working on it. He was just busyst week. I hope he can focus on this problem this time.¡± Mom knew the whole story and was pissed off at Sk for using the kid. Mom loved kids and felt terrible for what Everette had been through. ¡°I¡¯m seeing your post. Well done, honey.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mom. I love you. Talk to youter.¡± Micah came in to pick up my bag. ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡± ¡°That would be great.¡± One hourter, we entered the Osmium building. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve never been here,¡± shemented as we entered the elevator. ¡°It¡¯s actually pretty cool. I feel like I¡¯m in virtual reality.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s awesome.¡± ¡°I need a tour.¡± ¡°The ce hasplete amenities. I think there¡¯s a gym, cafeteria, pool, training center, shooting range, and simtion room. ¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty big.¡± ¡°The ground floor hasbat vehicles, and at the rooftop is the helo pad. And you know how much the start up when he started the Firm? Twenty.¡± ¡°Million dors?¡± ¡°Twenty thousand dors.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± She widened her eyes. ¡°He has a lot of help, but he and Jasper started The Firm. His best friend, Beck, left to run his ranch after resigning as Cenric¡¯s bodyguard.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± She looked from the top to the lounge. ¡°Baby?¡± I heard my husband call me. ¡°Surprise?¡± I smiled. ¡°Yeah, and happy to see you.¡± He kissed me on the lips. He then smiled at Micah. ¡°Wee to Osmium, Micah. This is your first time, right?¡± ¡°Yes. We just talked over the phone, and I considered visiting Osmium. Saw it online, but this is pretty awesome.¡± ¡°Not a donut?¡± ¡°A donut?¡± Her brows drew together in confusion. ¡°Never mind. Would you like a tour?¡± ¡°Um, maybeter.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± He waved at someone behind us. ¡°Kye!¡± I turned around to see Kye walking in our direction. He joined us. ¡°Where¡¯s Sax?¡± ¡°On assignment.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he the COO?¡± ¡°I asked a favor.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re needed here. Please, tour Micah around.¡± ¡°Me?¡± He pointed his finger at himself. ¡°Yeah. Estelle and I are going to Gunner to watch the progress.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kye looked at Micah, who was still waiting. ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll show you some cool stuff.¡± ¡°There is cool stuff around here?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Come, wife. We¡¯ll monitor Sax.¡± Linden held my hand as we walked to the other side of the building. ¡°Where¡¯s Sax?¡± ¡°He¡¯s at Tatiana.¡± ¡°I got the test report. Our products are clean. Now, I¡¯m gonna sue her ass for the damages.¡± ¡°Wait until we find something from Tatiana.¡± He swiped his card, and the door unlocked. ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Maybe she will confess something. She¡¯s not cooperative but hasn¡¯t filed an officialint against yourpany.¡± He pushed the door. What was inside the room shocked me. I stared at the vast wall screen before me. At least eight people focused on the monitor, and I only recognized Lynx. ¡°This is what you do every day?¡± ¡°Not me. I¡¯m just a paper pusher,¡± my husband humbly said. ¡°Nice, paper pusher.¡± ¡°I also push a lot of things.¡± He smirked. His eyes glint with mischief. I rolled my eyes. ¡°Guys, this is Estelle, our boss¡¯ wife,¡± Lynx introduced me to everyone in the room. ¡°Hello.¡± I waved my hand. ¡°Sorry for the interruption. I¡¯m here to observe.¡± After they said hi, they went back to their ownputer. ¡°Put them on the screen,¡± Linden ordered. ¡°What am I seeing, husband?¡± ¡°They¡¯re wearing bodycam.¡± ¡°Is that even allowed?¡± I asked out of curiosity. ¡°Private security is allowed, and we are investigating a possible counterfeit.¡± ¡°What?¡± I stared at Linden. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°We¡¯re about to find out.¡± He nodded confidently. Sax began asking questions, but I could only see half of Tatiana¡¯s body. Her lips were healed. Her eye was simr to the left. ¡°Why are you not leaving me alone?¡± ¡°On behalf of the Star LLC investigative team, this is not just about your concern. We are trying to find out what has gone wrong. You¡¯re the only one who has that kind of reaction. We¡¯re conducting a test on all the newly released products, and we are waiting for the result. We need your cooperation, Miss Golds.¡± ¡°How about I post another video and tell my followers you are harassing me?¡± ¡°We¡¯re merely asking for your cooperation. We¡¯re very grateful-¡± ¡°Thest time you were here, you were rude. What changed? Because everyone¡¯s eyes are on Star Cosmetics now. And one little mistake Star LLC makes, thatpany is over.¡± ¡°I got it that you¡¯re still upset.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how I feel. What if I used that serum and applied it all over my face, and I got the same reaction? I could be dead by now.¡± ¡°We can offer you something.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your money.¡± She grunted, ring at Sax. ¡°Come on, Sax. Just say it. I wanna see how she will react,¡± Linden said. ¡°What is it all about?¡± ¡°Patience, baby.¡± He leaned in to kiss the side of my head. ¡°How¡¯s our baby girl?¡± He lowered his voice so that no one could hear but us. ¡°Better.¡± ¡°Maybe you should listen to what I¡¯m about to say. Since you did a lot of damage to thepany, some of the trolls believed in what you said. You have two choices, Miss Golds. ording to the legal team. One, you will take down your videos and revise what you said.¡± ¡°No shit! I have credibility as a product reviewer. People trust what I do. How do you think I got almost three million total followers only on TikTok? I would never do that.¡± ¡°All you have to say is tell them that you¡¯re allergic after the test result from the doctor.¡± ¡°No can do. I suggest you leave.¡± She swatted her hand to Sax and turned away. ¡°Then you left us no choice but to file against you with ten million dor damages against thepany. If you lose, you will have to pay, and your credibility is over. Or you take back what you said, follow the script, and we will give you ten thousand dors in settlement, and you will sign an NDA.¡± ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°She did not bite.¡± ¡°Wait, baby. Wait.¡± He leaned in and whispered, ¡°Just like in bed, when I said not toe, you wouldn¡¯te.¡± ¡°Silly.¡± I pinched his arm. ¡°We¡¯re here watching Sax, and you¡¯re mind is elsewhere.¡± I watched the camera jiggle as Sax stood up. ¡°Who¡¯s with Sax?¡± ¡°Yue.¡± Lynx came over and gave the mic to Linden. ¡°Just wait outside, but make sure she won¡¯t see you. This is ourst chance to know if her content team is not involved or if she has a partner. Did you nt the CLD? ¡°Yes,¡± Sax answered. ¡°What¡¯s CLD?¡± ¡°Covert Listening Device,¡± he said. ¡°Great. Use the para mic, Sax.¡± ¡°What do you mean someone might be involved?¡± I looked at Linden. ¡°She deposited thirty thousand dor cash to her ount three weeks ago.¡± ¡°Is that suspicious enough?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh, man,¡± Sax sang. ¡°She¡¯s calling someone.¡± ¡°Stop. I wanna listen to the whole conversation. Are you recording this?¡± ¡°Yes, brother.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Put him on the phone.¡± There was a few seconds of silence before she spoke again. ¡°What the hell?¡± Tatiana sounded pissed off. ¡°I just got a visit from them again. I want this to stop. They¡¯re harassing me.¡± ¡°I paid you a big amount to do your job and not to entertain them,¡± the man said from the other line. Tatiana must have put the phone on speaker. ¡°What the fuck?¡± I just cursed out loud. Even if they manipted that voice, I knew who he was. ¡°Well, shit,¡± Linden reacted. ¡°The plot just thickens,¡± Sax said. Everyone recognized that voice. My blood just boiled. I could feel my neck and my face burning. ¡°You don¡¯t know them. Her husband is a sneaky son of a bitch. Hispany has a partnership with a billionaire. My daughter is a billionaire. What do you expect? They will find a way to connect the dots. That¡¯s why I contacted you because nothing can connect you to me. So do what you are paid for. Solve this problem on your own and stop calling this number before Ipletely disconnect the line. They could be listening to us right now. If you don¡¯t stop, I will let someone visit you to shut you up. Do you understand me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why are you doing this to your daughter?¡± Tatiana asked. Her voice shook. She must have regretted involving herself. ¡°After what I did to thepany. After I made her rich, she kicked me out to the curb because of that opportunist.¡± I watched my husband¡¯s jaw clench. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby.¡± ¡°This is not your fault.¡± He held my hand, squeezing it. ¡°You¡¯re doing this out of revenge for your own blood? This is not what I signed up for. When your man came to me, I had no idea who you were. I¡¯m just an honest product reviewer trying to make ends meet, not a witch to ruin someone¡¯s life. I almost lost my eye and destroyed my face because of what you gave me. I don¡¯t care if I lose my job and followers. You can have your money back. I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°I know who you are. Let¡¯s say you really don¡¯t care about losing your job. Don¡¯t test me, woman, and I¡¯ll tell you when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Linden grunted. ¡°My father?¡± I stared at my husband in shock. ¡°My father went to these extensive lengths to ruin me?¡± ¡°Us, baby. Us. To ruin us.¡± Chapter 81 LINDEN That sick son of a bitch! ¡°Where are you going?¡± Estelle followed me out of the Gunner Room. ¡°I need some air.¡± My blood was still boiling. I was still shaking with rage. I would have already broken his face if he was just in front of me. Father-inw or not, I didn¡¯t give a fuck. He couldn¡¯t ept Estelle chose me over his pompous ass boy, and now he wanted to ruin us. ¡°Hey.¡± She took my hand, linking it with hers. She knew I was shaking. ¡°I should be the one furious. He ruined mypany, but I don¡¯t want to give him the satisfaction he craves, Gabriel. He thinks he seeded. No, he did not. Thepany will be back on track now that I know who¡¯s behind it. And you and I are still here, together.¡± We walked to my office, and I rubbed my temple, and it didn¡¯t miss her sharp eyes. ¡°You should go back to your office or go home. Take some time to rest.¡± ¡°I have tons of work to do.¡± She pressed my hand against her lips. Estelle always calmed me down, but not this time. Her father got out of control. And it was time that he and I needed a one-on-one talk. ¡°Baby, you work so hard. Just take this day off.¡± I went to my desk to sit on my chair. ¡°No.¡± She stood right before me and shook her head. Her face hardened. ¡°I wanna talk to my father.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it. He cannot know.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have ns.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna put my father behind bars. He may be evil incarnate, but there must be another way to punish him. I want Tatiana to pay for what she¡¯s done. She shouldn¡¯t have taken his money.¡± ¡°We will make them pay, Estelle, but your father is the root cause. He can¡¯t go unpunished after what he put you and yourpany through.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe she was still considering letting her father walk free after what she witnessed. Maybe I was too angry, or maybe Gustav deserved it. I didn¡¯t know what exactly to feel. ¡°You¡¯re angry with him. I get that, but that¡¯s my father. I¡¯m also angry. Hell, I¡¯m furious. I can punch him in the face right now, but I will not humiliate my father and the entire family. I know his actions are unforgivable, but I want to give him a chance. And besides, he haswyers. Trust me, we won¡¯t win.¡± . ¡°I know you love your father, and he¡¯s your family, but he won¡¯t stop until the two of us are over. He wants to ruin us, Estelle. And I can feel that this is just the beginning. I¡¯m not gonna let you choose between me and your father. I would never do that, but maybe he will put you in a tough position and let you choose between me and my child. What would you do?¡± She shook her head again, trying her best to convince me. ¡°That will never happen. I will never choose between you and our baby. Just let this one go. I¡¯ll talk to him. It started between me and my father anyway. It¡¯s time I¡¯ll see my father.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust him, Estelle.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not gonna hurt me.¡± She picked up one of the books I bought about fatherhood and first-time dads. A little smile appeared on her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t touch that.¡± I took it from her. ¡°You don¡¯t know that. You know what he¡¯s capable of.¡± ¡°He¡¯s my father, Gabriel. You have to understand that.¡± She slid her ass to sit on my desk, checking the books one by one. ¡°You¡¯ve been reading, huh.¡± She sounded more amused than impressed. ¡°Gotta learn a few things. Will you mind your own?¡± I grabbed those away and dropped them under my desk, making her chuckle. ¡°Estelle, let me talk to your father.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t just say that? What¡¯s wrong if you read books? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a good thing? At least one of us must learn something because we don¡¯t have experience raising a child. And seeing a nerdy husband with his eyesses on is kinda hot.¡± ¡°Estelle, I know what you¡¯re doing, and I don¡¯t wear sses. I have 20/20 vision.¡± ¡°No, Gabriel. Let this one go.¡± She leaned in to cup my face. ¡°Don¡¯t confront him. Do you understand me?¡± I was about to say something, but Micah was already joining us. ¡°I should go back to the office.¡± She kissed me on the cheek. ¡°See youter at home.¡± I had no choice but to follow her outside the office. Once they entered the elevator. Kye cleared his throat. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Gustav is behind the Tiktok video stunts.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding me.¡± ¡°He paid that woman to ruin theunch of the new collections.¡± ¡°I see, but that¡¯s a little childish for his age, don¡¯t you think? He could have done something more dramatic.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. My stomach twisted. ¡°I have a feeling that he¡¯s nning something bigger. I feel it in my gut, and my gut has never been wrong.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re scaring me. Do you want me to watch him?¡± ¡°No. Estelle doesn¡¯t want me to do anything. After what Gustav did. Can you believe that?¡± ¡°When ites to family, we always have a blindspot. Family is family, brother. We always give them chances.¡± I groaned in annoyance because Kye was right. ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°Where? I¡¯ming with you.¡± ¡°No. Stay. If anyone asks for me. Just tell them I have a personal errand to run.¡± ¡°Then take Lynx with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going alone, Kye.¡± Kye blew a breath as I walked away. One hourter, I was at the golf club. I knew Gustav liked to unwind with his influential friends. ¡°Can we talk?¡± I stopped beside him. ¡°Why would I waste my time?¡± He didn¡¯t even turn to face me. This was not the first time rich people treated me like dirt. In fact, I was used to this and developed a thicker skin because I was a nobody who was ambitious to make a name for myself. ¡°I know what you did, Gustav?¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± He neither confirmed nor denied, walking to follow the ball. ¡°You paid Tatiana Golds to make that video for Star LLC to look bad.¡± He faced me with no emotions, not even a hint of guilt on his face. ¡°Well then, where is the cavalry? The cops?¡± ¡°What did Estelle do to you that you have to destroy the reputation of her hard work?¡± ¡°Her hard work? I called those investors. Thepany won¡¯t be where it is if it¡¯s not because of me. Then she fell under your spell and forgot everything I have sacrificed for her because of you.¡± Not hiding the acidic tone in his voice, he strolled his gaze at me from head to toe and never hid how disgusted he was. ¡°I¡¯m her husband, and we¡¯re having a baby. Why can¡¯t you just be happy for her and bury the hatchet? Estelle would be happy to hear that.¡± ¡°I just lost thirty million dors because of you, Linden.¡± Of course, it all came down to money. ¡°So why would I ept you as my son-inw? For me, you¡¯re just an-¡± ¡°Opportunist? Yeah. I know who I am, but you forget that I work hard to put food on our tes.¡± ¡°From what? Killing people?¡± I should be offended, but belittling me wasn¡¯t new anymore. ¡°Is that what you think I¡¯m doing? Is that how you see what mypany is?¡± ¡°You killed people, didn¡¯t you? I know someone like you once. After I gave her everything-¡± ¡°Her? Deirdre. Your marriage didn¡¯t work, but it doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t work for me and Estelle. How would you know it will never work if you won¡¯t give us a chance?¡± ¡°You only want money, fame, power.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want those things. I¡¯m not superficial. All I want is to be happy with your daughter.¡± ¡°Of course you do? You can¡¯t deny it. You envied your friends. Cenric is a billionaire, Mykel is a billionaire and married to a billionaire heiress. Rome Langston is married to a princess, Striker¡¯s father. You know him, and you¡¯re like a puppy, following him wherever he goes and whatever he asks you to do. You¡¯re just his puppet, Linden. Once he¡¯s done with you, he will end the partnership, and you are still no one. I don¡¯t like you because you¡¯re going to drag my daughter with you through the mud, and you¡¯re already doing it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t envy my brothers-¡± ¡°Brothers?¡± He snorted, looking icily confident and smug. ¡°Brothers are bound by blood. You don¡¯t. Go back to where you came from. Find your mother and stop pretending you have connections and influence because, without your so-called friends, you¡¯re just a low-life parvenu.¡± Well, tough shit. My bones trembled. My skin pricked. ¡°I know what I am. Besides, I¡¯m still that person and won¡¯t change who I am. I am not pretending to be who I am not. I am honest with everyone, with my job, but I can¡¯t convince you to believe my true intentions toward your daughter. This low-life wannabe might save your life one day.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s what I want you to do, Linden. I want you to stay away from my daughter.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± My voice turned hard and thunderous. ¡°I love your daughter and your grandchild. Estelle is my wife. You can¡¯t change that fact. And here¡¯s what I want you to understand, Gustav. You may hate me and despise my rtionship with Estelle, but I will never give up my marriage. I will never leave my wife.¡± ¡°Let me show you something.¡± I knew it would hurt or devastate me further when he took his phone from his pocket. He scrolled down and showed me the screen. ¡°What do you say, Linden?¡± My mouth parted as I stared at the picture on his phone, and I¡¯d never been scared to death until now. I swallowed the dread clogging my throat as I thought of my wife and unborn child. I was right, after all. I should have listened to Estelle. I should not have confronted and provoked this man. ¡°Where did you get that?¡± I forced myself to speak out. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He looked me in the eye. ¡°I¡¯ve lived long enough to know what kind of person you are. And youe here to lecture me about family and loyalty? You don¡¯t know anything about me or what I¡¯m capable of, Linden. You may have Moses right now, but I guarantee you will lose everything and everyone you hold dear. Here¡¯s what I want you to do. Leave my daughter-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do this.¡± My voice cracked in the end. ¡°Leave and divorce my daughter. I¡¯m giving you three days, or I will call Ilya Vasilyev and tell him who Jasper Greer is, where his loyalty stands, and who he truly works for.¡± ¡°Please?¡± I swallowed hard, my gut churning. ¡°I know you would do everything for your family and brothers, right? You ruined my rtionship with my daughter and my ns for her. And I will do everything in my power to ruin you, Gabe Linden. Since you love being their hero, I suggest you start moving and save him.¡± Heughed. His voice echoed. ¡°Oh, no. That¡¯s not the real deal.¡± ¡°What do you want, Gustav?¡± ¡°If you warn his handler, call him, or even discreetly send him a message, I would know. Do you think you¡¯re the only one who knows who? Do you think you caught me talking to that woman? No, no, no.¡±Motherfucker!¡°Now you know how I feel. But I know how you work. It was me trapping you. It was a bait, and you bit it. One wrong move, he¡¯s dead, and don¡¯t ever try to pull a trick.¡± Chapter 82 ESTELLE ¡°Where have you been?¡± Linden just came home. His shoulders slumped. He looked like he just lost everything and still carried the entire world over his shoulder. We were supposed to have dinner, but he waste. Now, it was almost midnight, and he didn¡¯t seem to care. He just passed by and ignored me. He went to the fridge, took bottled water, and drank it almost empty. ¡°Baby, I know you¡¯re still mad, and you didn¡¯t like my decision, but you can¡¯t-¡± ¡°What do you know about mad and decisions?¡± he asked in a cold-blooded tone. Okay. He was beyond mad. ¡°What do you want me to do? File aint against my father and humiliate him? Would that satisfy you?¡± ¡°Family, right?¡± He snorted. ¡°I watched you worry for days because of the damages he caused. I was with you the entire time because I was afraid you might miss a meal and not sleep well while pregnant, for God¡¯s sake. Now that we know who the culprit is, you only want to cut the tail and not the head of the snake.¡± ¡°Would you ever do that to your family? You went to God¡¯s forsaken ce to save Jasper and came back beaten with broken bones, and you almost died. You did that because Jasper is family.¡± He hadn¡¯t faced me yet. ¡°And he did not ruin my life. He did not destroy something important to me. You can¡¯t just face the fact that your father acted out of revenge because you chose me.¡± ¡°Gabriel, listen to me.¡± I went close to him and forced him to face me. I could feel the alcohol in his breath. He had been drinking, and I hadn¡¯t seen him do this to himself. ¡°No, you listen to me, woman.¡± He looked down at me with his gaze filled with pain and misery. He held me in my arms, gripping me tight. ¡°You haven¡¯t realized what he¡¯s doing to us because you haven¡¯t seen the effect on our marriage and because I¡¯m still fucking patience.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve already felt it. We¡¯re in this situation because you let his words affect you and get into your head.¡± ¡°He insulted me. He said that I envied my friends because they are sessful and happy, and that¡¯s why I married you to be like them.¡± ¡°You talked to my father?¡± I was already ring at him. He didn¡¯t listen to me. ¡°What did I just say to you at Osmium? I specifically told you to stay put, to stay away from him. I told you not to talk to my father nor confront him, Gabriel. Of course, he would say something to hurt you because he has the sharpest tongue. For once, when are you going to consider my opinion?¡± ¡°When did I not consider your opinion? When did I not listen to you?¡± ¡°You always said to do this, do that, don¡¯t, stop. I¡¯m tired, Gabriel. I want to be heard, too. I want to contribute to this marriage, especially now that my father stood between us. I know him more than you do. If you just leave him alone-¡± ¡°This is not the first time he insulted me, is he?¡± His nose red. More hurt infused in his eyes. I drew a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Yup. But I¡¯m strong-headed and stubborn. I wouldn¡¯t listen if I knew I wasn¡¯t doing something to hurt anyone. My father is a maniptive dick, but I¡¯m still his daughter.¡± ¡°Maybe you should pick a side then.¡± He simply shrugged as he let his hands drop. ¡°Are you serious right now?¡± I started to get pissed at him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you are asking me this. I just told you I wouldn¡¯t choose a side. You both are my family.¡± He just shrugged again. I felt like my father said more than what Linden let on. ¡°What did he exactly say?¡± I pressed. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± He left the kitchen and didn¡¯t even answer my question. I followed him to our bedroom. He just stripped off his clothes and went to bed. Something was truly bothering him, and it was beyond the issue with me and my father, and I didn¡¯t know how to crack him up. I was utterly useless. I sat at the edge of the bed and traced my fingers through his hair. ¡°Please tell me, baby. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Sleep, Estelle. It¡¯ste.¡± ¡°No. Old people say they don¡¯t let the sun go down without talking the issue out. Please talk to me?¡± ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake.¡± He growled as he quickly sat on the bed, startling me. His face was stern. His eyes narrowed. My stomach twisted. ¡°I fucking hate your father. Now that I tell you. Will you let me sleep? I¡¯m fucking tired. I¡¯ve been up all day, working, but it all went down to waste.¡± A muscle ticked in the corner of his jaw. I could tell he was beyond furious, and I had no clue when to start and how to fix everything that had been done. I swallowed. Something just snapped inside him. The man before me was not the man I met months ago, not the man I fell in love with, married, and the father of my baby. The Linden before me was a stranger, a dangerous, vicious stranger. ¡°Will you calm down? You¡¯re scaring me.¡± I lowered my voice and tried to reach out, but he scared me. I hadpletely misjudged him and the situation we had on. He dragged himself out of bed, putting his clothes back. ¡°Gabriel.¡± I covered my abdomen when he moved like a predator in my direction. At least I could protect my baby from whatever he was about to do. He leaned down, meeting me eye to eye, and I leaned back. His eyes were red as if he was too drunk or he¡¯d been crying- anger and violence brewed in there, and his blood was positively boiling. ¡°Gabriel, please, you¡¯re scaring me.¡± My voice shook, but he never showed emotion other than fury. ¡°You know what?¡± he sneered at me. ¡°I¡¯m done. I¡¯m done fighting. I¡¯m done protecting you from motherfuckers like your father, the asshole Weston, and the greedy Tyrion. I¡¯m done fighting for this marriage, which I know would end badly anyway. I¡¯m done with you. I¡¯m tired of you whining, protecting your sick father,ining after everything I did for you. You can have the baby.¡± What just happened? I froze in my seat, and my eyes widened. I couldn¡¯t move as everything around me had dropped zero degrees, slowly turning to ice. Each breath I took turned frigid, fiercely impaling my lungs, and I was afraid to breathe or swallow. I stared at him through blurry vision because my emotions had already came my way, and he just broke my heart. I didn¡¯t know it hurt so much when someone you loved hurt you emotionally and mentally. Maybe it was better if he broke me or pped me. At least I knew what to do with the pain, but what he did to me was unbearable, excruciating, and extremely agonizing.N?velDrama.Org ? content. When he walked away, I felt my body shake, not anymore in fear, but I cried in silence. Alone. As he reached the door, he paused. ¡°Consider this a divorce notice. And I want you gone when Ie back.¡± Without remorse, he mmed the door behind him, leaving me confused, alone, and hurting in the dark. I balled myself in bed. I cried out, but no voice came, and it didn¡¯t numb the pain even a tiny bit. I didn¡¯t know who to call for help. It seemed that I was left alone in misery. What had just happened seemed unreal. It was not Gabriel Linden. It was not my Gabriel. My Gabriel was not capable of hurting me. What happened was because my father got into him, I was sure of that, but what was it? I didn¡¯t have any idea. I felt someone nudging me. ¡°Gabriel?¡± Chapter 83 ESTELLE ¡°Gabriel?¡± But I met different eyes. I wiped my tears away. ¡°Qamar.¡± I threw myself into him and hugged him. I badly needed someone to tell or lie to me that everything would be okay. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He patted my back and said it was okay, but I didn¡¯t feel okay. It still didn¡¯t make things feel all right. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I pulled away and went back to lying in the same position. Qamar pulled the nket to cover me. ¡°Do you need anything?¡± ¡°No. He¡¯s leaving me. I don¡¯t know what happened, but something went terribly wrong. He¡¯s not the man I know. He¡¯s not my Gabriel. The man with me earlier is not my husband. He¡¯s a different person.¡± ¡°He¡¯s hurting.¡± ¡°Well, shit. He just broke my heart.¡± Tears kept pouring as I remembered what he just said. That was the worst thing he ever did to me. I didn¡¯t even know if I could forgive him. *** I woke up feeling empty. His side of the bed was empty. My eyes were puffy. My chest hurt, but I was not giving up because I just lost a husband, the man I ever loved. Determined, I got up from bed. I showered and put on jeans and a shirt. Then I went down to the kitchen only to find pairs of eyesnding on me. They probably noticed my puffy eyes as they suddenly dropped their gazes. ¡°Well, good morning, guys. What do we have for breakfast?¡± Nobody answered, just looked down and went ufortably silent. ¡°If you don¡¯t wanna talk, leave this house. I know this is not mine, and the owner kicked me outst night. My things will be out of this house by the end of the day.¡± I went to open the fridge and grabbed the jar of OJ. ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± Kye swallowed. I almost dropped the jar. I swiftly turned to face everyone. ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s gone? Gabriel is gone? Where? How?¡± Despite how he broke my heart, I still loved him. That was the whole truth. I couldn¡¯t just undo it and forget he ever existed. ¡°He¡¯s a special force. He can hide in in sight, and we don¡¯t even know,¡± Sax replied. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a million-dor advanced tech to find him? A billion-dorpany at your disposal? Not to mention Osmium partners.¡± ¡°Contra to what people believe, even the Hover security can¡¯t cover around the world. Not all ces are covered with CCTV and officers.¡± ¡°I agree with Kye, missus.¡± Lynx took a huge bite of his sandwich. I took the te Sax pushed before me and tipped my chin at Lynx. ¡°Aren¡¯t you like SEAL? Don¡¯t you have contacts or something or special skills?¡± Then, at Sax and Kye. ¡°You two idiots have nothing? You have known Gabriel for years. Did you try contacting Beck, Cenric, Rome, or Striker? How about Moses? Where is he?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to enter his office, but he must have used hisptop to purchase tickets.¡± ¡°Or he may use his credit card. Make a call to someone, or you can call aviation and check if his passport came through immigration.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. She¡¯s good, mate.¡± Lynx tipped his chin to Sax. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to be found, you can¡¯t find him. I know my brother.¡± I red at Sax. ¡°So you¡¯re just going to stand here and eat my food and do nothing while the chairman and CEO of Osmium are missing? What kind of brother are you? What kind of COO are you? You must be happy to run Osmium because Gabriel is gone.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not worried? Do you think I don¡¯t wanna find him?¡± Sax was offended. His tone deepened. That was what I was trying to make him feel. ¡°Wake up, woman. I care about him. I love him because he¡¯s the only family I have left. He took me under his wing when nobody wanted me, nobody trusted me. I owed him my life. But this, whatever happened, has something to do with your father, that piece of shit.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to find out what you two talk about. Qamar filled us in on what happenedst night. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t bother asking,¡± Calmed Kye said. I swallowed. ¡°After we talked in his office, I left.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°What did you two talk about?¡± ¡°I told him not to pursue the case against my father. I don¡¯t want Dad to pay for the damages he made. Gabriel wanted to confront my father. I said no. He still did. If I¡¯ve known that man, my father doesn¡¯t hold back. He might have said something that triggered and terribly hurt Gabriel. He seeded in breaking him. I didn¡¯t know what, but he wanted to get us divorcedst night.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Sax let go of a shaky breath. ¡°Not this shit again.¡± ¡°What do you mean by not this shit again? He said he doesn¡¯t want my baby anymore,¡± I added, forcing the OJ down my throat. ¡°Linden? Gabe Linden, my brother, and best friend, said that?¡± Kye asked incredulously. Everyone looked at me in shock. ¡°As far as I know, he¡¯s on hisst straw. If there¡¯s anything he would never give up, it is you and his unborn kid. Trust me. I know him through and through. You and the baby are his life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the man I know.¡± Sax¡¯s nose red. ¡°What the fuck happened to him? I swear to God, if I see your father, I don¡¯t care if I will go to jail. I will break his face.¡± ¡°Well, I might let you break my father¡¯s face because that was what Gabriel said before he left, and he also said to me, consider that his divorce notice. ¡°Wow, man. I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Kye shook his head in disbelief. ¡°How did you know he¡¯s gone?¡± I asked back. ¡°He didn¡¯t report to the office. He didn¡¯t pick up the call. He left his phone and watch on his desk.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so important with that watch?¡± ¡°His panic button, his tracker. Now I have no idea where the hell he is.¡± Chapter 84 LINDEN What the fuck did I just do? I felt fucking terrible. My eyes felt hot with inconvenient tears. I told her before my father that I would never hurt her, yet I did it in the worst way possible. It broke my heart because I let my emotions get the best of me. I couldn¡¯t unsee the look on my wife¡¯s face, the pain in her eyes- the woman I loved, the mother of my unborn child. That was the most foolish thing I¡¯d ever done. It was unfair. I broke her heart to save another life. And my child- I wished she didn¡¯t feel her mother¡¯s pain, and I hoped one day she could forgive her father for what I¡¯d done if I didn¡¯t make it back. Lately, I doubted my action- I questioned myself if I was still doing the right thing. It was three in the morning, and I was already in my office. And I didn¡¯t know where to begin because expressing my feelings and writing a letter wasn¡¯t my strong suit. With modernization, who still wrote letters these days? And writing a sorry letter to my wife wouldn¡¯t cover how I terribly hurt her. On the other hand, Estelle would understand why I was doing this, why I chose this, but Jasper had only one life. Estelle, Baby, You are my entire world. You and our baby are the reason why I smile and live for you every day. I hope you¡¯ll find this letter before it¡¯s toote. Forgive me, my love, for everything that I said. I will make it up to you for the rest of my life. Those were lies, but I had to go to save Jasper onest time. I love you with every beat of my heart. Gabriel I folded the paper. Before I slipped it into thest book I read. I wrote down the coordinates with an invisible ink on the book¡¯s page. I knew she was smart, and she woulde to my office to find clues if I didn¡¯t make it back in two days. I took off my watch and turned off my phone before cing them on the book. Under my desk, I pulled out the carpet and opened the safe. I took the passport under one of my aliases, some cash in two currencies. I prayed I was not toote. I hoped Jasper was still alive. Otherwise, Gustav won. I could not forgive myself for that, and I could not forgive him for that, and I would not let it go without getting my revenge. My wife would hate me, but her father took it way too far to get to me, break me- to get to her and my family. I discreetly got out of the Osmium using my exit, and I knew who to avoid cameras, or otherwise, Gustav would find out I was going to Jasper or meet his handler. So, I was doing this on my own without any backup, just a solid n. If this worked and I managed to get Jasper out of that country, I would make sure Gustav would pay andter ask for forgiveness from my wife. Right now, I have a mission that cannot wait. *** Twelve hourster, I made it. I made it to Jasper¡¯s post, where he kept his things, reported to his handler, and tripped the button if something went wrong with his cover. I looked around at the old apartment building. No one seemed to be watching me. I climbed through the exit door to the third floor. Pushing the window open, I checked for the booby traps he had nted. It was clear. Once I got in, I slowly shut the window close. I scanned around, and it seemed like he hadn¡¯t beening here for weeks. The small coffee table was covered with dust. The small vase on the shelf was untouched. Tiptoeing, I took steps slowly to make sure the wooden floor wouldn¡¯t creak, but the footprints of my boots left marks, and others, smaller than mine. My guess is a woman. Shit. But it could be his girlfriend if he had any. My heart began pumping fast. Adrenaline rushed through me as I pulled out the handgun from my back that I had bought from the local gang. Slowly, I slid off the safety and pointed forward. I grabbed the door handle to his bedroom and twisted it. It was locked. The footprints also stopped there, just right before my foot. Before removing my hand from the door handle, I felt a cold steel pressed against my neck. I froze. My heart nearly stopped. My breathing held. Fuck. This should be the time when you prayed and asked forgiveness for all the sins you¡¯d done. But I shut my eyes and prayed, hoping I got the chance to see my wife and family again. ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± I couldn¡¯t contain my relief as I recognized that voice. With my legs wobbling, I opened my eyes and blew the breath I¡¯d been holding on. Thank God. I turned around and smiled. ¡°You could have blown my head off, but you saw meing, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Why I¡¯m not surprised to see you here, Linden?¡± She slipped the gun on her side waist. ¡°Good to see you again, Grace.¡± We hugged. ¡°You looked for me?¡± She was surprised that I knew her name. What did she expect? How did I think I got this address? And it was not easy or cheap. I had to trade vital intel. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one knows. And I thought you could use my help. Remember when you told me you might need me? Our friend is in trouble.¡± I slipped my gun back. ¡°I know.¡± She looked guilty. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°A hacker named Vermont hacked into our system and took only one specific file.¡± ¡°His file?¡± ¡°No. Not only him- the list of our new enlist.¡± ¡°Jesus. So, everyone on that list ispromised and in danger. I thought you have NSA level of security.¡± ¡°Everything is hackable, Linden, even the Hover Defense. How did you know he ispromised?¡± My nose red. I didn¡¯t know where to put my anger. ¡°Not yet, since twelve hours ago. My father-inw. He¡¯s not very fond of me. Long story short, I confronted him yesterday, but he showed me a picture of Jasper and Ilya instead. He will call Ilya if I don¡¯t divorce my wife.¡± ¡°Son of bitch. Gustav dwyn has the guts. Not just a capitalist, after all. He put you in a tough spot.¡± ¡°You have no idea. I have a feeling he might have something to do with this. Is everyone informed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Gustav who has the copy. It¡¯s Tyrion Weston.¡± ¡°That piece of shit,¡± I growled. ¡°Now I say, why am I not even surprised? He does more than make yachts.¡± ¡°He¡¯s losing control over Weston Yachts. He lost a lot of money, making him desperate.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m happy after what he put my wife through, but yeah. He deserves it.¡± ¡°I already told Jasper toe back three weeks ago because I know what is happening. Weston is selling guns to Vasilyev and other organized crime lords. Jasper confirmed that, but there¡¯s another person involved that he wants to uncover. He said he¡¯s not done yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Jasper. Now, he might note back. Is that why you are here?¡± ¡°I was hoping I would find him here.¡± My worry leveled ten times now that I knew the threat was real. I drew a deep breath. ¡°We should find him, Grace.¡± ¡°No. He won¡¯te over here. He should have been here two hours ago if he had managed to get out of Ilya¡¯spound safely. That¡¯s when he reports. I know where he could be if something doesn¡¯t go as nned.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move. Do you have trans?¡± ¡°Yeah. A beat-up car.¡± ¡°As long as it starts.¡± We used the elevator this time. It still worked, but it looked like it was about to fall off. It squeaked as it took us down. ¡°It¡¯s right there.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. As we dashed out of the building towards where she parked the car, I scanned, afraid Jasper¡¯s post was alsopromised. I followed Grace to the car she parked at the back of the building. All of a sudden, the hair at the back of my neck rose. I almost shivered. ¡°We¡¯re not alone,¡± I informed Grace. She manually unlocked the car, and I went to the passenger¡¯s side. Then a whooshing sound passed through the air, causing me to lower my head and duck to cover. But there were no sounds of gunshots. My guess was the gun had a suppressor. I pulled my handgun out, searching for the hostile. Another whoosh, and then a thud followed. A body just dropped. ¡°Grace?¡± Chapter 85 ESTELLE ¡°So you did all this to get to me?¡± I stood before my father in his house. A woman, just around my age, was still in a robe waiting upstairs. I didn¡¯t want to judge women by their choices, but I couldn¡¯t believe someone like her would be interested in a man her father¡¯s age. That¡¯s creepy and disgusting. ¡°The product review, insulting my husband, and now you also ruined my marriage because you thought it was Gabriel¡¯s influence that forced me to kick you out of the board.¡± ¡°Linden is just using you.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re not? It wasn¡¯t enough that you and Tyrion arranged my marriage to yton. I almost married thatzy good-for-nothing ass and ruined my life.¡± ¡°Why, I¡¯m not surprised that he chose to leave you?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I only gave him a chance to pick a choice, and he didn¡¯t choose you. Now I believe that he¡¯s not after your money. On the other hand, you deserve better than him.¡± ¡°So you made him choice over what?¡± ¡°His friend will get killed.¡± His admission made me gasp. My blood went icy cold. I stared at him in shock for a moment before I found my voice to ask. ¡°What have you done, Dad? Who are you? What happened to the man who raised me? I feel like I don¡¯t know you anymore.¡± ¡°You know for a fact that I did the right thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what greed did to you, Dad. You lost your way. Maybe I should have just followed Gabriel and filed aint for the damages you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°You will not do that. You don¡¯t have the guts.¡± ¡°Gustav, is it going to take long? I¡¯m waiting.¡± I red at that bitch still waiting at the stairs. ¡°This is between me and my father. Family, and you¡¯re not family. You¡¯re here because my father has money. If he¡¯s poor, do you think you¡¯ll even look at him, an old man, the same way right now?¡± ¡°Bitch.¡± She rolled her eyes before she turned and walked away. I ignored her. I couldn¡¯t waste my time on someone just like my father while my husband was missing. ¡°Just go back to your house, Estelle. You¡¯ve already known your marriage to him wouldn¡¯tst. You can¡¯t just ept it because he satisfied you in bed.¡± ¡°Jesus Christ, Dad.¡± My voice was hard, my anger and frustration just beginning toe out of my chest. ¡°Do you think I married him for sex? You don¡¯t even know what we have because you never found it with Mom. I¡¯m just d she¡¯s happy now with another man. You should try it sometimes, dating women the same your age who¡¯s not after your bank ount and expensive gifts.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t insult me.¡± ¡°Why? Because you are better than me? Because I¡¯m a major disappointment? And you know what¡¯s best for me, right? Well, Dad, you broke my marriage, and my daughter will grow up in a broken family just like me. And it¡¯s all because of you. The father of the year.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t care for you, as I thought. He chose his man over his wife. Why are you even upset? When I just saved you from impending heartache. You should be thanking me because your parents know what¡¯s best for you, and no matter how you mistreated me, I will always be here for you.¡± ¡°Wow. I can¡¯t even believe I¡¯m hearing this. Do you actually think that you¡¯re still the good guy here after what you did to mypany? Do you think I will still trust you? You almost bankrupted Star because you are greedy and can¡¯t ept defeat. I¡¯m done with you, Dad. You win.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m done!¡± He yelled at me. His face reddened. ¡°What else do you want to destroy? I have nothing left. The only thing that matters to me is gone. My marriage that makes me happy is over. Goodbye, Dad.¡± I turned around, ready to walk out of his house, when he called me. ¡°If I don¡¯t see you tonight in your house, you will find out tomorrow what happened to his friend.¡± I stopped and faced him again. ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t test me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do that you haven¡¯t already done. Even my life, you already destroyed it. Congrattions!¡± I met Sax, Kye, and Lynx two hourster at Osmium. ¡°What did you tell you?¡± ¡°In one sentence, leave your husband, or you will regret it.¡± ¡°Wow. He¡¯s a father of the year.¡± ¡°Of the century, because he¡¯s still richer than me, but he can¡¯t manipte me. So he decided to start destroying the people around me.¡± When I paused, Kye asked, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of anything that made Gabriel act so recklessly unless¡­¡± I closed my eyes when I remembered what he told me. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°What is it, Mrs. L? I¡¯m lost,¡± Lynx said. ¡°You¡¯re not alone, bro.¡± Kye seconded the motion. ¡°I wanna see his office.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sax took me to his office. Linden¡¯s assistant, Hope, was there, unlocking the door for us. ¡°Is there anything you change in his office?¡± ¡°No, ma¡¯am. I didn¡¯t touch anything,¡± Hope replied before she left us. ¡°What are the things needed when someone goes off the grid?¡± I looked at them one by one. ¡°Money, preferably cash, documents, passport, ID. I wouldn¡¯t use a credit card if I were you. I will use a prepaid phone, a burner,¡± Kye replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know where he keeps his passport,¡± I admitted. I didn¡¯t usually mind Gabriel¡¯s business because I trusted him. ¡°In the house, but his other passports are probably in his office.¡± Confused, I asked, ¡°How many passports does he have? Is Gabriel even his real name?¡± ¡°No one should know this, but sometimes we use an alias. It is not standard, but to keep us safe. And yes, his real name is Gabriel Rembrandt Linden.¡± Sax looked for something missing in the office or out of ce. ¡°Maybe we should inform the boss.¡± ¡°Spies do that, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Sax answered. ¡°But Gabriel is not a spy.¡± I was curious, but I knew he was not. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m calling Moses.¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t.¡± I stopped Sax. ¡°Why?¡± His confused eyes met mine. ¡°You have resources here. Use it.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been scanning Linden¡¯s whereabouts in the city. Unfortunately, no one can ess his ess control card, even our head of IT, because he has a high-security clearance level in the building, even me, but he can do it through his phone orputer. So we can¡¯t find anything here. Hisptop is not here, too. I¡¯m pretty sure he cleaned it up. He knows what he¡¯s doing. The Gunner room is scanning all the CCTV and traffic cams as we speak. I¡¯m sure he couldn¡¯t dodge all of them.¡± I sighed helplessly. ¡°That asshole broke my heart, but here I am still trying to find him because Dad did all of this to tear us apart. Gabriel just gave up easily. I didn¡¯t know what my father had against Gabriel, or my husband doesn¡¯t care for me like I do.¡± Shit. My face med in guilt for what my father had done. Everything had to do with Jasper. ¡°Don¡¯t go there. Yeah, this is your father¡¯s doing, but I have a strong feeling that something is going on bigger than us.¡± ¡°Bigger than his marriage than Estelle and his kid?¡± Kye shook his head, disagreeing with Sax. ¡°Where the fuck is his safe?¡± Lynx was frustrated as he checked all behind the paintings, touched everything on the shelves, and still found nothing. He also pulled out books one by one that there might be hidden doors behind the racks. I went to his desk and sat on his chair when I felt back pain. I put down his watch and phone back on the desk and picked up the book. ¡°He was reading this book two days ago. He was proud as he told me he wanted to learn something since we both have no experience in parenting. He was excited untilst night.¡± ¡°He was hurting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hurting too, Kye.¡± I blew a breath when I felt like I was about to cry again. ¡°I thought he was thest person to break my heart, hurt me, and make me feel less like a woman. I even made myself believe that he loved me. I was wrong. There¡¯s emotion stronger than love.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that. I don¡¯t believe he meant it. I still believe he nned all of this.¡± ¡°For what? End of the world?¡± I almost forgot something. ¡°What if Jasper is in danger? Do you think my father knows?¡± ¡°I¡¯m lost.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t tell you, did he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been secretivetely, but I understand.¡± Sax didn¡¯t hide the pain in his eyes. ¡°My father said something like his friend will get killed.¡± ¡°What the fuck? What does that even mean?¡± Sax narrowed his eyes at me. Unknowingly, I flipped the book. Something fell on myp-a piece of folded paper. I thought twice about unfolding it. It wasn¡¯t mine in the first ce, and I felt like I was intruding on something personal. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Kye came. ¡°A love letter? He¡¯s not the kind of man who writes love letters, Estelle. I know him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s in the book and fell when I flipped it.¡± I unfolded the paper. The content was a written letter to me. ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Kye reacted. ¡°That asshole!¡± I eximed. My anger exploded. ¡°I swear to God, I¡¯m gonna punch him!¡± ¡°What did it say?¡± Lynx came, too. I looked at them one by one. ¡°It¡¯s personal.¡± ¡°Did he mention something where he¡¯s going?¡± Sax asked.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°He said he had to go to save Jasper onest time.¡± ¡°Son of bitches. Those two fuckers are my death.¡± Sax propped his hands on his hips as he exhaled loudly. ¡°I swear to God. Linden wouldn¡¯t just stay put and let us work. He has to do it by himself. He has to be the hero. The question is, where is he going? Do you know where he would be, Estelle?¡± ¡°Where thest time he went? You sent him there while we were on honeymoon, assholes.¡± I rolled my eyes at Sax. ¡°You should probably bring big guns or inform a military officer in that area.¡± ¡°How do you know all of this?¡± Kye asked, still confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t Jasper with the mafia? A Russian mafia.¡± ¡°I hope my theory is right. Find me a UV light.¡± Sax grabbed the book, flipping it. ¡°Do you remember what page he slipped the letter in?¡± ¡°143, I think.¡± ¡°143, huh?¡± Sax snorted. ¡°How cringy? That asshole has romance in his blood, actually.¡± ¡°He might be using an invisible ink.¡± Lynx joined Kye and gave the UV light to Sax. He flipped the page to 143, turning the light on. ¡°Uh-huh!¡± As if he just uncovered a hundred-year-old scandal, his eyes lit up. ¡°I love you, brother. We¡¯re going to these coordinates.¡± ¡°Right, and I have a husband to punch.¡± Chapter 86 LINDEN ¡°Grace? I called her name again, but she entered the driver¡¯s seat unscathed. When I turned around, pointing a gun at the quick, heavy footsteps in our direction, I saw Jasper instead. I couldn¡¯t contain my happiness. Relief filled my chest to see him alive. I ran towards him. ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡± His eyes widened to see before he hugged me tight. I could see he was also happy to see a familiar face. ¡°I could ask the same thing.¡± ¡°Can we cut the reunion short?¡± Called out Grace. We sprinted to the car. I took the passenger¡¯s seat. Jasper went to the backseat, and Grace hit the gas towards the main road. ¡°How did you two get here together?¡± Amused, he asked. Grace ignored his question. Instead, she said, ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯re burned. Your cover is blown.¡± ¡°We are supposed to meet a buyer today, but Ilya suddenly felt unease in the morning, the paranoid he already was. I instantly knew something was going on. When he asked me to pick up the package from the shipping container that just arrived, my gut told me something else. He changed his mind at thest minute. Someone was waiting for me there to kill me and stuffed me in the drum and threw me into the ocean. That¡¯s how he dumped three of his menst week.¡± ¡°Jesus Christ.¡± ¡°And that one you just killed?¡± Grace drove crazy to escape Ilya¡¯s territory, even if this was all Vasilyev¡¯s. Until we crossed the border, we were in grave danger. ¡°Two, you mean? If I was just three secondste, you two almost got in the head.¡± ¡°Thank you, brother.¡± I patted his knee. Jasper gripped my shoulder. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even ask why you were in my post. Why are you both here?¡± ¡°The list is stolen. You¡¯repromised, Jas. I¡¯m sorry, man,¡± I answered instead. ¡°How did that happen?¡± ¡°I would love to say, I hopeputer doesn¡¯t exist,¡± Grace answered. ¡°Vermont hacked the system and stole only that file, called Kappa. I came as soon as I was informed, and then I found Linden lurking in your post.¡± ¡°What are we gonna do now?¡± he asked. ¡°Hopefully, no one will follow us, and we can get all home safe.¡± Grace took a quick U-turn. ¡°And you, Gabe, why are you here? Shouldn¡¯t you be coloring room and assembling crib?¡± ¡°I broke up with Estelle to save your ass,¡± I said the shorter version as I nced at the side mirror for possible hostiles. So far, so good, but my pulse was still elerating as they could follow us to the crossing or shortcut in the road. ¡°What the fuck, Gabe? Why the fuck did you do that?¡± Jasper asked, not sure if he was surprised or horrified. ¡°Tell youter.¡± ¡°I should be humbled that you chose me over Estelle, but that¡¯s the stupidest idea you ever told me. How far are we, Grace?¡± ¡°Three miles out. We¡¯re actually going there since you reportedte and expected to find you there. So you came empty?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± He picked up something from his jacket and showed a brown ledger. ¡°Son of a bitch.¡± Iughed. Jasperughed as well. As we got far outskirts, the weather got chilly. The fog was getting thicker. The road was pretty empty, and the more hostile it was, as the enemies coulde from anywhere. Grace quickly noticed my uneasiness. ¡°I¡¯m driving as fast as this car can.¡± ¡°Where did you even get this piece of shit anyway?¡± ¡°Where did you get your gun? It doesn¡¯t look like a standard issue at Osmium.¡± ¡°Bought from the local thug with twice the price as in the store.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you came back for me,¡± Jasper said in amusement.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°My father-inw just ckmailed me. I can¡¯t let him win. The next time I face him, I¡¯ll make sure I face him with my fist first.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a monster-inw, huh?¡± He chuckled. ¡°More like an evil-inw. He conspired with Weston to take Estelle out of the chair position. But I couldn¡¯t let that happen. Moses did the magic in the stock market so Cade and I could buy the shares. And they were too confident and willing to sell. He and Weston ended up being kicked as the shareholders.¡± ¡°So you and Cade now have shares in your wife¡¯spany?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why Gustav keeps grudges against me. He paid someone to sabotage theunching of Star Cosmetics products. A TikTok star reviewed the products. It was a mess. Her videos were trending for two days, and the sales and orders dropped drastically. My poor wife barely ate and slept. So, I helped investigate. After we found out Gustav was the culprit, Estelle decided to file aint against the woman and leave her father alone. I confronted Gustav.¡± ¡°And ckmailed you in return.¡± ¡°Yeah. That son of bitch has a photo of you and Ilya. I¡¯m sorry, Jas. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°Partly, brother. It¡¯s Weston¡¯s fault, and I know what I signed up for. This job is dangerous. And now I should apologize for your marriage and for putting your life in danger here with me. And I appreciate your effort.¡± ¡°We gotpany. Hostiles inbound, six o¡¯clock.¡± I looked at the side mirror as soon as Grace informed us. ¡°Shit. How many rounds you got?¡± Two Mercedes Benz G-ss were tailing us with our old model Toyota Coro. ¡°I have one extra clip,¡± Jasper confirmed. ¡°Mine too,¡± Grace affirmed. ¡°I don¡¯t have extra ammo.¡± ¡°And we¡¯re still three clicks away,¡± Grace said nervously. ¡°And then what? There¡¯s no military post in that area,¡± I said. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know that?¡± Grace exhaled loudly. The bullet started flying in our direction. I ducked my head. Even if I fired, hitting the hostile tailing us wouldn¡¯t be sessful, and I had to conserve my ammo when this situation got tough. ¡°I hope your motorboat still works.¡± ¡°Just keep driving,¡± Jasper told her. ¡°It helps me calm when I talk.¡± ¡°You two shouldn¡¯t havee to me. I can manage to escape alone. I have a n.¡± ¡°Just shut up.¡± I blindly fired back. ¡°Those motherfuckers will never leave me alone from now on.¡± Jasper began shooting. ¡°You will be all in danger.¡± ¡°They¡¯re close and targeting the windshield. The next time they shoot is the tire. We¡¯re over without backup. Just shut up and stop whining about why we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°So your multi-million dorpany is useless when their boss is in danger?¡± ¡°No one knows I¡¯m here, Grace. I didn¡¯t want someone to tip off Gustav and call Ilya. Myst resort is my wife finding the letter.¡± I was shooting back while Jasperughed out loud. I could read him if he was nervous or too calm and confident. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. You broke up with Estelle, but you depend our lives on your angry wife. Why the fuck did you do that? Nice n, man.¡± ¡°Well, when my family is involved, I tend to act based on my emotions, asshole.¡± Iughed nervously. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m terrified. I still wanna see and apologize to my wife.¡± ¡°I¡¯m dying here anyway, so the least I could do is fight back, kill those fuckers, and die for my country. And what letter was that?¡± The back windshield broke, and ss scattered. ¡°Love letter. Are you okay?¡± I asked Jasper. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Not hit.¡± I heard something from a distance, but it was interrupted by a loud ssh of air. I could say we were still lucky that the car didn¡¯t fly and exploded in the air with us inside. They just shot the tire. And they were getting closer. And we were closer to our deaths. ¡°Shit. I didn¡¯t expect to die and be killed by these assholes. Ilya will dly rip my head off my body and throw my dick to his Laika.¡± While the car struggled to move forward, Jasper kept talking. I closed my eyes and thought of going home to my wife, my family, and the people I loved. If I wouldn¡¯t make it, at least I tried to save Jasper and my marriage, but I wouldn¡¯t get the chance to hold the child. That was a bummer. ¡°Shut up. No one will die today. Except them.¡± The moment those words came out of Grace¡¯s mouth, an explosion erupted behind us, leaving a colossal smoke behind. ¡°What the fuck? Did I just hit him?¡± He thought he did that. Jasper just turned lunatic,ughing wildly in the backseat. ¡°That was close,¡± Grace expressed. When I looked through the windshield, a familiar helo came into view- a military helo. That exined what I heard. It must have been close all this time. ¡°Well, I thought your bullets magically turned into an RPG.¡± I chuckled, somehow relieved. ¡°Well, shit. They¡¯re backing,¡± Jasper said as we watched thest hostile make a U-turn.¡± Let me guess, our backup?¡± ¡°More likely our rescuer.¡± The tire screeched against the asphalt, and the car skidded to a halt. The helonded in the middle of the road. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s here to rescue us?¡± Grace asked. ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± I climbed out of the car with bullet holes but remained alert and kept my gun ready on my side. ¡°You look like shit!¡± Lynx just jumped down the helo, fully geared up. And I¡¯d never felt so relieved to see a familiar face after we were just followed and shot by Ilya¡¯s men. ¡°It¡¯s ours,¡± I told Grace and Jasper. ¡°Good to see you.¡± I hugged Lynx. Sax, Quinn, and Kye followed. ¡°You have a big exining to do to your wife.¡± Kye hugged me tighter. ¡°Jesus, you made us all worried. Please, stop doing that. No one is capable of running Osmium but you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°I could punch you, but watching you like in a Fast and Furious movie, I¡¯m giving you a pass.¡± Sax fist-bumped into me. ¡°Thank you, brother. For having my back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡± They went to hug Jasper and introduced them to Lynx. ¡°Are you ready for exfil before reinforcements arrive?¡± Quinn asked. ¡°This is Grace,¡± I told them, and they just smiled as everything became clearer. Sax raised a brow at Grace. ¡°So you are the reason behind his secrecy, huh?¡± ¡°If I tell you, then I have to kill you.¡± Her answer made everyoneugh. Chapter 87 LINDEN ¡°I need to see my wife,¡± I informed my team as soon as wended home. I was just d that we all came back alive, even if Ilya¡¯s powerful criminal empire might hunt us down one by one. Jasper went with Grace for a debriefing. ¡°Good luck with that. Estelle was actually the one who found the letter that led us to the coordinates. She¡¯s furious.¡± ¡°I know.¡± My chest constricted. ¡°I hurt her, but I¡¯ll ask for her forgiveness for the rest of my life if I have to. Thank you for being there for her in my absence.¡± ¡°Now that sounds like my real brother, not the asshole who hurt his wifest night.¡± When I finally arrived back at the house, the familiarity of being home came rushing back to me with the face of my wife in pain. ¡°Estelle?¡± I climbed upstairs, hoping to find her in our bedroom or the nursery room she was still working on. I admired her tenacity for not allowing me to get involved. I trusted her, and I had no doubt she could pull it off and make the room beautiful for our baby. ¡°Baby?¡± I called her again when she didn¡¯t respond. I pushed the door to our bedroom open- she wasn¡¯t there. I realized so was Qamar. I still denied the truth. I went looking for her in the nursery room. The room hadn¡¯t changed, and the white wall was still the same. I went back and found something that made my heart sink. I picked up the letter I wrote to her on the well-made bed. She left me. My wife just left me despite her finding out the truth, that I was lying the entire time I said those words. But I knew it wasn¡¯t because of hurting her and saving Jasper. It was because I didn¡¯t trust her enough to trust me. ¡°Well, that was fast. What did she say?¡± With my heart bleeding, I stopped and looked at Lynx. ¡°You started to sound just like Sax.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°My wife left.¡± ¡°Shit, boss. I¡¯m sorry. Where could she be?¡± ¡°At her house.¡± ¡°Wait. She left you, like left you?¡± Confused, he asked. ¡°That¡¯s what I wished for her before I left. She¡¯s granting it despite her finding out the truth. She¡¯s making me pay for what I¡¯ve done.¡± I went back to the car. Lynx followed me and got into the passenger¡¯s seat. ¡°You could have just told her the truth. I¡¯m sure no one can know.¡± ¡°She went to her father yesterday?¡± I started the car and dialed my wife¡¯s number. ¡°Yeah. That arsehole Gustav did all that to tear you both apart.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what exactly I wanted her to do. Now Gustav is aware of my separation from Estelle, he will leave us alone, let his guard down, and that¡¯s where Ie in with my revenge.¡± Estelle didn¡¯t pick up. Either she was busy or ignoring me, but it was mostly thetter. ¡°He wants to take control of your wife.¡± ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s not gonna happen.¡± I drove off the driveway to the main street. ¡°Did one of you contact Moses?¡± ¡°No. We didn¡¯t. I¡¯d say you did the right thing, but you could have involved us in your n.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly. When it involves the people I care about, my brain doesn¡¯t usually work. I act recklessly and let my heart and my gut decide. I would do the same thing to all of you. For me, you all are not just my employees. You trust me with your lives, and that is something I don¡¯t take for granted when you¡¯re all in trouble. Trust is crucial to me, and loyalty as well. Our line of work is dangerous, and I need men who can watch his team¡¯s back.¡± ¡°Thank you, boss.¡± The gate opened to Estelle¡¯s house. The car she usually used was in the driveway. She didn¡¯t go to work. Qamar seemed to know we wereing. He came as soon as we parked the car. ¡°Good to see you back, boss.¡± We hugged each other. ¡°Me too. Where¡¯s my wife?¡± ¡°In her room.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I left him with Lynx. As I entered the house, I felt nervous and excited at the same time. I didn¡¯t know how to exin my actions when she already knew. She had already decided for herself the moment she left the house, which terrified me. I climbed upstairs to her room. My heart continued galloping in my chest, and I kept blowing breaths as I got closer. I stopped in front of her door and paused before I knocked. I heard nothing. I pushed the door open, and she was just there, so beautiful, waiting for me. ¡°Baby-¡± Fuck. Instead of throwing herself just like how I came back home for the first time I went to see Jasper, she squared me in the jaw, which was strong. My teeth tattered. My head tilted back. My jaw ached. I deserved that. I deserved worse. I rubbed my chin and my jaw before I looked at her. ¡°Estelle.¡± ¡°I want nothing from you. We¡¯re done. You want a divorce. You¡¯ll get it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want a divorce. I did that-¡± ¡°You could have trusted me. You could have-¡± She swallowed hard. Her eyes filled with fury. ¡°You chose the hardest way, Gabriel. Instead, you hurt me. And do you think your sorry ass, your letter could patch up what you¡¯ve done? Do you think telling me in your letter wouldpensate for the pain you¡¯ve caused me? We¡¯re done keeping secrets, but you did it again, and you will do it again and again until there¡¯s nothing left to pick up of our marriage. I¡¯m done being that woman, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Just hear me out.¡± I took a calcted step, but she stopped me. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can tell me that can change my mind. I already made a decision.¡± ¡°Baby, let it cool down. We¡¯re both overwhelmed.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve already cooled down. I told you I want nothing from you. I¡¯m not overwhelmed. I call what you did stupidity and distrust with his partner. You and my father are alike, and I don¡¯t need that kind of person in my life. One is enough for me. Two is too much. I hate toxicity. And you are toxic in my life, Gabriel. Just like my father.¡± ¡°But you are willing to give your father a second chance. I deserve it, too. I am your husband, Estelle.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± I closed my eyes and breathed. It hurt even to breathe. This was how she felt when I told her those lies, and I wished I could take it back, but maybe this was a trying time for our marriage, and I needed to work on that to keep this marriage. ¡°Your father will call Ilya if I don¡¯t do what he asked.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bigger than him. You¡¯re far stronger than him. You could have just punched him or knocked him out and called Jasper, but you always chose the hardest way because you like the adrenaline rush, you like danger, you like taking a risk, you enjoy saving lives too much, too much that you don¡¯t even think the feelings of the people who care about you. I couldn¡¯t be that person anymore, thinking of your safety every time you go out there. You have men, Gabriel, every resource, human, technology, information, and weapon, and your teams are capable of doing as you can, but you wouldn¡¯t just stop. Your hero Boy Scout routine doesn¡¯t work for me anymore. I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do that again.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t believe you. I can¡¯t trust you anymore. What do they say? Once a Marine, always a Marine. That¡¯s who you are. And I can¡¯t be with you. I have a child to raise, and I don¡¯t wanna die young.¡± ¡°Baby-¡± She raised her and shook her head. ¡°You wanna be involved and be in our child¡¯s life? I will let you because she needs a father, but aside from that, I can¡¯t give you what you want.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving up on us, Estelle.¡± ¡°You have to leave.¡± ¡°I will walk out of your house, but because I¡¯m giving you the space and the time you need for yourself. I know, baby. I hurt you, and I will be asking for forgiveness for as long as I¡¯m alive. And I know I¡¯ve made a lot of mistakes, I¡¯ve taken risks, and I¡¯m still taking a risk to save our marriage. I won¡¯t let your father win. He can¡¯t win.¡± ¡°This is not about my father anymore, Gabriel.¡± She grunted. Clearly, she was fed up with me and done with my bullshit. She thought of her decision, and even her husband couldn¡¯t change it. ¡°This is us. This is not working for either of us. And I remember what you said. You can¡¯t let your child be born out of wedlock. You fulfilled it. Since you married me for that, now it¡¯s time for us to have separate ways.¡± ¡°Do you really believe that I married you because you¡¯re pregnant? I married you because I couldn¡¯t stand the fact that you¡¯re wasting your life over that ridiculous arrangement with that worthless piece of man.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe in anything you say to me anymore.¡± Her words were like a hard p to me. ¡°You¡¯re desperate. Do you remember what you said to me before your father? Well, let me say it.¡± ¡°I know what I said, Estelle.¡± Still, she didn¡¯t stop. ¡°As long as I haven¡¯t hurt you, I won¡¯t let you go, but if, in any circumstances, I raise my hand on you, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t keep you because I won¡¯t tolerate that and myself, and that¡¯s not the man you married.¡± ¡°I fucking love you, Estelle. That¡¯s why I married you, and that¡¯s why I am here saving it, saving us. I love you.¡± Chapter 88 ESTELLE ¡°Oh, boy. What did he do this time?¡± I smiled, even if it was forced. ¡°Hey, Wi. How are you?¡± I didn¡¯t know what I was even doing here. I felt like I needed to be around someone who knew Linden better. ¡°How are you? Oh, my God. My inner aunt is giggling.¡± She bent down to ce her palm on my growing baby bump. ¡°Hello, sweetheart. Aunt Wi can¡¯t wait to hold you.¡± ¡°I think this kid is thrilled to see you.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m so excited. How¡¯s the room decoration going on?¡± ¡°Still working on it.¡± I noticed a new painting. A mysterious woman on a beautifulndscape in the sunset. ¡°That¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She blinked. I saw the gaiety in her eyes. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s the quietness, the contentment, and the beauty that is represented in thendscape and the sunset, of course. The woman is happy in her life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what exactly I¡¯m trying to express.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I stared at her, and her face broke to smile. I took a closer look at the signature at the lower right corner of the painting. ¡°Wow. You painted this?¡± ¡°I have a few, but I just don¡¯t have that confidence to show them.¡± ¡°What changed?¡± ¡°You.¡± ¡°Me?¡± I pointed at myself. ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°Your life looks perfect from the stranger¡¯s point of view, but it¡¯s not. There¡¯s chaos, doubts, and recklessness, but you have passion, confidence, and tenacity. Yourpassion for people makes you a vulnerable woman but strong and steadfast. I realized I could have shown my art if I had just that one percent of you, of your tenacity and confidence.¡± ¡°You are stronger than you know. You have passion in your heart. Look at this.¡± I showed her the paintings on the walls of her gallery. ¡°These wouldn¡¯t be here. You don¡¯t have an art gallery if you don¡¯t have that passion and love for what you do. You even have a little confidence in yourself and believe in your talent. Also, life is unfair and cruel and filled with imperfections. You can be good now, but you can do it better the next time.¡± She held my hand and let me follow her. We sat down, and I knew what came next. ¡°Now tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Your brother.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°The moment you walked in, I knew you were carrying the pain in your chest. ¡°My ever audacious annoying brother. God, what did he do this time?¡± ¡°You know that I love you and your family. I love your brother, but-¡± ¡°No, no. no.¡± She held my hand. ¡°You can¡¯t. I love you, Estelle. You don¡¯t know how lucky and happy I am to have you as my sister. You can¡¯t leave my brother. I know, sometimes he does stupid things, but if you do that, I might lose my brother for good.¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you say that?¡± My heart nearly stopped. ¡°Sax and I met yesterday. He said I should talk to Gabe, and you both are not in a good ce.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I looked at our hands. ¡°I gave him a chance. He blew it big time.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s what rtionships do. That¡¯s how rtionships should grow. You two are just perfect, like yin and yang. You¡¯re good, and he¡¯s terrible.¡± She chuckled. ¡°But works perfectly together. You¡¯re his soulmate, Estelle, and if you do this, you both will always feel empty. Do you mind if I say something?¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°My brother always takes risks. I feel like he became my father, my mother, and my brother at the same time when we were kids. Dad tried his best to make ends meet. When Dad was not around, Gabe took all that responsibility even if nobody asked him to. If you stop him from doing that, it¡¯s like you stop yourself from doing what you love- it¡¯s like ripping half of him out of himself. He wouldn¡¯t be whole, and you wouldn¡¯t like that. I know the risks, the idea of him getting hurt out there, but if you truly love my brother, you have to trust him that he wille back to you. That¡¯s what I do every day. That¡¯s who Gabe is.¡± ¡°He hurt me.¡± ¡°If you just think of the brighter side. I know it¡¯s unfair, and I¡¯m on my brother¡¯s side right now because I love him with all my soul, but you also have to think of your baby. Estelle, I haven¡¯t be a mother, but raising a child alone is hard. Even if you have money to buy everything they need, you can hire nannies, but the presence of a partner, a good partner, is more than a dozen nannies or a million worth of diapers. My brother would never let you do that alone. And you should know Jasper is more than just a friend or an employee. He saved my father¡¯s life.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I almost forgot that. ¡°Take your time. Ignore him for days. You have the right to do that after what he put you through, but a marital split?¡± She shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s a little drastic.¡± ¡°Why did you get divorced? I¡¯m sorry to ask.¡± ¡°He cheated on me.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. I gave him chances to change. We got back on track for a while, but he did it again. When I confronted him that I would divorce him if he wouldn¡¯t change, he got physical. That was myst straw.¡± I gasped. How Linden stared at me that night still lingered in my head. He was dark. I knew people had darkness in them, but that side of him still terrified me. ¡°Thanks for telling me.¡± ¡°Do whatever you¡¯re gonna do for days, even months. He deserves it, but please don¡¯t consider divorce. I really like you as my sister.¡± ¡°I like you, too, Wi.¡± I forced out a smile as I sighed deeply. ¡°Anyway, what happened to that woman on Tiktok?¡± ¡°I will officially file aint for the damages if she won¡¯t apologize publicly.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Serves her right.¡± ¡°So as my father. He¡¯s a dick.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I was surprised nobody told her. ¡°Dad is behind it. He was mad at me for-¡± ¡°For you and Gabe?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Wow. Monster-inws do exist.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°So, do you still stay at home?¡± ¡°In his house? No.¡± ¡°Oh. So where are we going to do the nursery?¡± I stared at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do it in your house.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re up for it?¡± ¡°Yes. Definitely.¡± *** ¡°Surprise!¡± I almost jumped. My hand was on my chest as I tried to calm my heart. I might have given birth right now if I was in full term. ¡°Happy birthday!¡± I stared at everyone with my mouth open. Still, my heart was pumping so fast. And here I thought this was a Taco Saturday. I wasn¡¯t really in the mood for any celebration, given that my marriage was on the verge of copse right now. ¡°Happy birthday, honey.¡± Mom came first to greet me. She pulled me into a hug. ¡°I love you, my baby girl.¡± ¡°I love you, too, mom.¡± Then Micah, Wi, Sax, Striker and London, Mykel and his wife Adley, Cenric, and Sadie came next. ¡°Happy birthday, Estelle.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kye.¡± My reply was open-ended. I wanted to say something but didn¡¯t know where to start. ¡°Happy birthday, sweetheart.¡± It was Moses. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind my surprise.¡± ¡°I love it. I already told my staffst week. No surprise birthday, or I will fire them all. Thank you.¡± I hugged Moses. My father was always present on my birthday but wasn¡¯t around this time. He escaped the moment he knew there was aint against him. ¡°Happy birthday, honey.¡± Jaymes was thest person to greet me. ¡°I looked for him but didn¡¯t know where he was. He hasn¡¯t reported to work this week. The guys leave him alone. Maybe he needs some time.¡± ¡°Thank you, Pops.¡± ¡°Come on, girl. Make a wish.¡± Sax couldn¡¯t wait. He had to take me to the table. Iughed to see the cake design. A pregnant woman is holding her baby bump. ¡°Wow. You gave some thought to this a lot, huh, Sax?¡± ¡°Make a wish,¡± Wi said excitedly with a p. I closed my eyes and wished inwardly. When I opened my eyes, I blew the candle. I never believed a birthday wish coulde true, but I tried to believe it this time. We settled on the long table at Moses¡¯ mansion. Before the dinner began, Moses clicked his ss. ¡°I just wanna wish our birthday girl. I wish you happiness, contentment, and peace in life, a healthy baby, even if you haven¡¯t revealed the gender.¡± That gaveughs from everyone. ¡°I know you will be a good and wonderful mother. Again, happy birthday, Estelle.¡± After dinner, I went away from them for a while. I was entirely overwhelmed by their love and kindness despite Linden and I being in the middle of our marital challenges. I tried to push away the thought in my head. I was happy these guys were around to lift me up on my birthday. I realized what family meant to these people, and they never ceased to amaze me how tight they were. ¡°Beck and his wife wish you a happy birthday.¡± Jasper didn¡¯te to greet me earlier, but I caught him looking at me a few times. ¡°They¡¯re sorry they can¡¯te. I¡¯m sure Linden is thinking of you right now.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m the cause of all your pain. I let this happen. I¡¯m so sorry, Estelle. I know it doesn¡¯t mean anything, but I¡¯m still sorry for the trouble I caused you and your husband.¡± I turned my head to him. ¡°How are you? I haven¡¯t reached out to you since you came back.¡± He wouldn¡¯t look at me. ¡°Linden paid the price when it should have been me.¡± ¡°As if you can stop him when he sets his mind. He cares about you. And it¡¯s only about you saving his father. He looks at you as his brother, too. And any brother in his position will always take every risk to get you away from that ce.¡± ¡°I know you know something. My father will get his early parole, but is it worth it? After what crimes hemitted, I couldn¡¯t help but think, did he deserve it? Linden made all the sacrifices. Even his marriage is in crisis because of me because I chose the shortcut.¡± ¡°It is.¡± I smiled. ¡°Sometimes we do the wrong thing for the right reason. We still love our family despite who they are. We still believe in a second chance.¡± ¡°Do you really believe that?¡± His question caught me off guard because I knew what he wanted to convey. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then Linden deserves that chance, Estelle. Hate me. I will take it wholeheartedly, but don¡¯t hate him. Let me make it right. I am the reason why he¡¯s not here. Ask me anything. I will do it. Just take him back.¡± I saw and felt the depth of his sincerity that really cared so much, so I had to test it. ¡°Even if I ask you to stay away from him?¡± He blinked off the pain brewing in his eyes, but for a moment, I still caught it. ¡°If you promise me you will never give up on him. You and Linden will never divorce.¡± ¡°Why do you care?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s the reason why I am still here. He¡¯s the reason why I have this life. When everyone never trusted me and looked at me as a criminal, he picked me up from that hellhole, took me to the light, and gave me a second chance.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°I will find him for you.¡± ¡°Would you do that?¡± ¡°In a heartbeat.¡± Chapter 89 LINDEN ¡°Open this fucking door, or I will tear this down,mio amico!¡± Terzo yelled, followed by banging on the door. ¡°I swear to God, if you don¡¯t open this, you will see bullet holes in it.¡± Who would have thought my weakness was a woman? I¡¯d rather die early with liver cirrhosis or liver cancer than live longer without my wife. Yeah, I fucking loved her, and I couldn¡¯t imagine a life without her. And I would do anything for her, even leaving her so she could be happy. Well, at least I still got the chance to see a glimpse of her smile, even from a distance. And here I was, drowning myself in alcohol every night, and even a mafia underboss like Terzo could not stop me. ¡°My man. Come on, open this door!¡± He kept banging. The doorknob rattled when he could tear it down. Thankfully, I was alone living in the vi. ¡°Get away! I¡¯m still alive. Fuck off!¡± My voice roared, loud enough to wake the dead before I covered my head with the pillow. I could still hear him. Momentster, I heard heavy footsteps. He must have scared the caretaker and forced him to unlock the door. ¡°You stupid lovesick, get your ass up.¡± He grabbed the pillow I used to cover my ears. I had no choice but to look at him. ¡°What the fuck do you want, Siciliano?¡± ¡°You just missed your wife¡¯s birthday.¡± I stared at him and realized I had lost track of what day it was. What the fuck? Shit! ¡°Huh.¡± He snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t know her birthday, or you¡¯re just a fucking idiot you forgot?¡± ¡°I know her birthday, asshole.¡± I red at him, but he just smirked- the bad boy, yboy, evil smirk. ¡°Well, you¡¯re doomed. Your wife will never forgive you anymore.¡± ¡°Well, thanks for stating the obvious. Why are you here, disturbing my sleep?¡± Iy back down, realizing my situation was getting worse than fixing my marriage. ¡°Mr. Braddson called. He looked for you.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t lie to him.¡± Pissed off, I groaned. ¡°Do you know why I am here? I wanted to get away from someone like Moses lecturing me, preaching about my mistakes in life.¡± ¡°Maybe you should just face it once and for all. You¡¯re the bravest man I know, but when it¡¯s personal, like marriage and rtionship, you¡¯re a coward.¡± ¡°What the fuck did you just say?¡± I was already on my feet, facing Terzo with my hands formed into fists. ¡°What are you going to do? Punch me? If it makes you better, by all means.¡± He gestured. ¡°I may not be Sax or Kye or the new guy, Lynx, but I care for you, man. You¡¯re a good person. I want you to be okay, but I can¡¯t help if you stay here longer. You need to go back and apologize, beg, and do it even if you have to grovel. She¡¯s a beautiful woman just to let go.¡± I got back to bed. ¡°Get out. I have a headache, and I need to sleep.¡± ¡°Up to you. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t tell you. You know you¡¯re going to be a father, right?¡± I didn¡¯t have to ask how did he know everything about me. ¡°You have to be there, be a responsible adult. You should be shopping for a nice crib, helping your wife choose pretty bibs, cute mittens, and a table for cleaning shit, not here ruining yourself. And your wife is beautiful and rich. A football superstar would be interested in her even if she has a kid.¡± ¡°Shut. The. Fuck. Up.¡± I growled. My inner demon switched on, a killer mode took over, and Terzo saw that. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now.¡± With a smirk, he raised his hands and stepped back. Once he reached the door, he said, ¡°Moses is on the way with Greer.¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± I picked up thempshade and threw it to the door, ending with a loud crash. That thing scattered to pieces. I could still hear himughing as he ran away to the hallway. I had no choice but to get up. I took painkillers and showered. The headache may be gone, but the heartache remained, maybe would be forever. I put on clean and decent jeans and a shirt and went downstairs. My stomach kept growling, reminding me that I had missed dinner, breakfast, and now past lunch. Great. I got out of hand in killing myself and ruining my life. Before I could pull the door open, someone already opened it from outside. ¡°Good to know the alcohol in Sicily is treating you well.¡± Moses shook his head. Disappointment crossed his face. ¡°Good to see you, boss.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he ordered his men before he turned to me. ¡°And you areing with me.¡± ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± I looked at his six men and probably a few more watching him from a distance. ¡°Our talk is overdue, son.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Stop being stupid. Go home and fix your marriage.¡± ¡°Apparently,tely, I didn¡¯t have to go and see a therapist or a marriage counselor. That saves money, time, and talk.¡± I followed him and joined him in the ck Tahoe. ¡°Your sarcasm would have amused me if you didn¡¯t leave your pregnant wife and yourpany behind. You might have a marriage issue or heartbreak, but we signed a contract. I trusted you with the two hundred million dor deal. I know what you¡¯re dealing with right now, but instead of walking away, wasting your time, solve it, face it, and waste your time in yourpany because it won¡¯t run by itself. Osmium needs you before it falls apart and your son or daughter ends up without a future. Do you want that?¡± I swallowed hard. Everything just faded to ck and white around me when I walked out of Estelle that day. I forgot that I still have other responsibilities with other people around me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I disappoint you.¡± ¡°I care about you, Gabe. You¡¯re like a son to me, but we should not forget our role, our job, that hundreds and thousands of people depend on us. And your problem with Estelle wouldn¡¯t solve it by itself. You need to work on that aspect. You¡¯re going to be a father. Be the man who made vows in front of his family and friends.¡± ¡°I, Gabriel Rembrandt, pledge to honor you, respect you, love you and cherish you every day for the rest of my life. I promise to be honest and faithful, and today, I give you my heart, myself, and my life to be yourfort in times of your struggles, to be yourugh in your tears, to be your safeguard, your best friend, and your armor. I love you and always.¡± I found myself speechless for the first time. My wife needed space, but I didn¡¯t. I used alcohol over the solution. I left her unprotected. I left her in tears. I left her in her struggles when I should have been there by her side. I blinked off the tears, but it was toote. Even if I looked away, Moses saw them on my face. I wasn¡¯t ashamed if someone saw me cry. I felt ashamed of myself. Terzo was right. I was a coward. I ran away instead of fixing my marital problem. Time and space wouldn¡¯t work for me. What I needed was effort, hard work, and resilience. I wiped away the tears on my cheeks. ¡°When are we leaving?¡± ¡°Right away if you want.¡± ¡°I need to talk to Terzo first.¡± ¡°He will be at the airport. Jasper is there waiting.¡± ¡°I even forgot about his deal. I lost focus on things.¡± ¡°I understand pain, son. I understand loss, but don¡¯t be like me, leaving a wife and a kid. Don¡¯t wait for twenty years to make amends. I was lucky Striker gave me that chance, but I am still making it up for those years. I¡¯m still living with guilt. You might not get yours. That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to tell you, and sometimes we only need a little or hard nudge to make us realize what¡¯s important, what we missed, and what needs to be done or improved, but it won¡¯t take us there unless you work hard for it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. Regarding your issue with Vasilyev.¡± ¡°Fuck. When would this problem end?¡± ¡°You better learn not to use that word. You¡¯re going to have a mini you or mini Estelle.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know the gender, boss.¡± Heughed. ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I¡¯m surprised.¡± I smiled. That was the first time I smiled since I left Estelle in her home. It felt good. It really felt good. ¡°Go back to Vasilyev. I took care of it already. You owe me.¡± ¡°Of course. I owe you my life.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be dramatic. I gave them the incentive to stoping after you and Jasper.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± My stomach knotted with dread. ¡°Nothing fancy, just a little scary.¡± ¡°I¡¯m lost.¡± ¡°I met the Don.¡± ¡°What the-!¡± My eyes grew wide in shock. ¡°Boss, you could have gotten killed.¡± ¡°You worry too much about other people. That¡¯s your problem, son. Try to be selfish sometimes, maybe most of the time, but think about your family for once.¡± ¡°You are one, boss.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about your wife and your unborn child. I¡¯m capable of taking care of myself. And you depended too much on her bodyguard without backup. What if Gustaves after her while you are here, doing God knows what? I took care of that, too, and you¡¯re wee.¡± I leaned back as I felt like I was losing my strength. I blew a breath. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d failed a lot of thingstely, including my wife¡¯s protection. ¡°Jesus Christ.¡± ¡°Yeah. Now you know why I am here.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your thank you. I told you, Gabe. I need you to stay with your wife.¡± ¡°I swear I will, even if she kicks me out a million times.¡± ¡°She might just do. You missed her birthday. Everyone was there. Even Beck and his wife sent their greetings. While you, her husband, went AWOL. What worse could have happened, right, Gabriel?¡± ¡°Keep doing that. It helps me choke on my own guilt. What did you do with Vasilyev?¡± ¡°I showed them what could happen to theirpound, family, and their empire if they even considering after you. Many may fear him, but I am rich and powerful and have tons of connections and weapons at my disposal.¡± ¡°You showed them your UAV?¡± ¡°And among other things.¡± I grinned. ¡°You sneaky-¡± ¡°If Gustav won¡¯t stop harassing your wife-¡± ¡°I think I can handle him. Thanks.¡± ¡°For once, end it now, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Yes, boss.¡± We arrived at the private airport. Terzo and Jasper were already there waiting. ¡°Go home,mio amico.I don¡¯t want you here until next year.¡± ¡°Thank you for your generosity and hospitality.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Bro, are you ready to go home?¡± Jasper asked. ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡± Before I could ask for my things, my bag was already loaded onto the jet. ¡°I have somewhere to be, Gabe, Jasper,¡± Moses called out from the jet. ¡°Coming, boss.¡± ¡°Do you know what he did?¡± ¡°Saved our asses? Yeah.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Shocked, he asked as we climbed the jet, ¡°How did he do that?¡± I looked over my shoulder. ¡°Learn not to ask that kind of question.¡± ¡°What would he ask in return?¡± ¡°Have a good life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Jasper was bbergasted and never got used to Moses¡¯ influence. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°He¡¯s cooler.¡± Moses might have just heard Jasper. ¡°Do you still want to work in The Agency?¡± ¡°I should learn not to ask how, should I? To answer your question, sir, yes. And frencing at Osmium.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Thank you, even if I already said that.¡± ¡°Just look after your father once he gets an early parole.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of that.¡± Jasper turned to me after he buckled up. ¡°Your wife asked me to find you. That¡¯s why I came to Mr. Braddson.¡± ¡°Did she?¡± I was shocked, and a little hope settled in my chest. ¡°Yup. I thought she med me for what happened to both of you, but I was surprised she didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± I didn¡¯t realize I was smiling the whole time until my facial muscles ached. Chapter 90 ESTELLE ¡°We should do this often, Mom,¡± I suggested before we went to our cars waiting for us. ¡°I¡¯d love that, honey, but I know what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°I just wanna have dinner with you like we used to.¡± I¡¯d been avoiding any questions or topics about Linden. I was grateful Mom understood that while we were having dinner. ¡°Fine, but because I wanted you to enjoy the meal earlier. Call your husband. You can shout at him, hit him, curse him, or let him sleep in the other room, but you can¡¯t avoid him all the time. Soon, you need him.¡± ¡°He lied to me and hurt me. If he¡¯s really sorry, where is he, Mom? He missed my birthday, and I¡¯m not sure he knows my birth date.¡± ¡°You pushed him away. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just waiting for you to tell him toe back, and one of you should swallow your pride and talk about the problem.¡± ¡°I should go. I will arrange a small gender party reveal maybe next week.¡± ¡°Go home. We¡¯ll talk about it over the phone, or maybe I will hire a party nner.¡± ¡°I can do it, Mom. I will do it at home.¡± Mom pursed her lips. She wasn¡¯t amused. ¡°You can¡¯t keep doing this. This isn¡¯t healthy, and it will affect the baby, Estelle. Stop deflecting.¡± ¡°Bye, Mom.¡± I kissed her on the cheek. ¡°Love you.¡± I quickly got in the car before she could say more. I was still mad at Linden. I hadn¡¯t been over what he¡¯d done. I expected him to resist when I pushed him away, but he didn¡¯t. It had been a week, and no one had ever heard from him or knew where he was. I wanted to ask Moses and Qamar, but I was ashamed, and they were loyal to Linden. I didn¡¯t want Linden to think I still wanted him back. I was giving him a chance to make amends for his mistake before I decided to file for divorce. Divorce was myst straw. I didn¡¯t want to do it because I still thought that raising my kid alone wasn¡¯t a good idea. It affected the child. I knew it through my experience, but Linden was pushing my limit. Since I had a talk with Jasper, I haven¡¯t heard from him either. His words about giving Linden a chance enlightened me, but I wanted my husband to realize and decide who was his priority. To be honest- I could be selfish, but in a few months, I wanted him to prioritize his daughter. Sooner, she would need a father. When he decided toe back, I hoped he learned to think of us before he nned on going on a suicide mission again. ¡°If you need anything, let me know.¡± I smiled at Qamar as I entered the house. ¡°I have maids. You can take a break. I¡¯m not going anywhere tonight.¡± ¡°Good night, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Every time I entered a home, it reminded me of Linden. If I was being honest, I missed him. Yeah, I still loved him very much. Maybe that was one of the reasons why I had hope for our rtionship because this was not just something that we could say quit when we had issues. I admitted my decision was rushed and harsh and based on anger. I was carried away by my emotions. I didn¡¯t think of the cons, but he hadn¡¯t put too much fight for it either. I entered my room and turned on the light. My feet were painful. I already felt the weight gain struggle. My baby was growing fast. Last night, I thought she had moved. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was dreaming or if she had her first kick. I was so happy and cried with joy because it was a reminder that my baby was healthy and strong. I took off my shoes one by one and wished I could have a good foot massage. Lately, I didn¡¯t have time for it. I¡¯d been busy helping and throwing ideas about baby products. We tried to create something organic and eco-friendly packaging as well. Shutting the door closed, I leaned against the door. I felt like Icked the strength to change my clothes or even remove my makeup. I was exhausted. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I yelped. My pouch slipped from my grip. My shoes dropped on the floor with a thud. My eyes went wide, realizing I wasn¡¯t alone anymore. With my heart still galloping in my chest, I asked, ¡°What the hell are you doing in my bed and my house?¡± ¡°You look tired.¡± Linden was already in sweatpants and a shirt, lying in my bed, feelingfy. ¡°Jeez. Thanks.¡± My eyes narrowed in anger as he looked so ruggedly handsome and fresh. His beard was a little a week longer than usual. ¡°I¡¯m busy with work. I don¡¯t have time to take a vacation. Unlike you, you seem to have fun for a week.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a vacation, and I never had fun. I drank my sorrows and agony.¡± ¡°Good for you. I wish I could drink.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. It¡¯s not good for you and our baby.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ignore my question, Linden. Why are you here?¡± I was still standing at the door. When he got up, my back stiffened. ¡°I¡¯m done running away from my pain. It didn¡¯t go away. Instead, I might end up with liver cirrhosis or cancer if I kept drinking, and our problem would still be there. And I remembered one thing while I was away.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°My wedding vows. I shouldn¡¯t have left.¡± ¡°Go home.¡± I went to my walk-in closet, and I felt him following me. I took off my jewelry in front of my vanity, and he was standing behind me. ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t touch me,¡± I said when he was about to wrap his arms around me. I ignored the pain in his eyes. I loved him, but he needed to understand that he broke my heart and hurt me, and if he wanted to be in my life, he should learn to share everything with me, not just his heart or his body, but his life. ¡°I missed you.¡± I could barely hear what he said. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to forgive you, Linden.¡± ¡°You took off your ring.¡± Yeah, he noticed that. I used my ring and took off my wedding band and his engagement ring. I was making a point. Now that he saw it, good for him. Yay. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised I still haven¡¯t received the divorce notice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you toe back. Expect it next week on your desk.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t being sarcastic or excited over it, Estelle. I want you to give me a chance.¡± ¡°You had your chance, but you blew it.¡± I zipped down my dress, but he hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°A little privacy, please?¡± His brows met. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you naked. I¡¯m still your husband, Estelle. You can get naked in front of me, and I¡¯m not going to touch you until you let me.¡± ¡°Out, Linden.¡± Every time I called him Linden, he winced. Deep inside me, I had a little celebration. I didn¡¯t want him to suffer because it hurt me too. I just wanted to make my point. When he left the room, I changed into pajamas and did my skincare routine. I was expecting him to be gone and go home, but I was wrong. He was reading a parenting book. ¡°Do you want me to kick you out?¡± ¡°You can call the cops if you want, but I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± He barely lifted his gaze. He went on reading again. ¡°At least, get a room. Sleep in the guest room, Linden. I¡¯m not sharing a bed with you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He lifted his gaze from the book he was reading. ¡°You know why?¡± ¡°I honestly don¡¯t. If you are concerned that I will touch you in the middle of the night. Forget about it. I care about you. I respect you, and I won¡¯t ever force my hand on my wife and the mother of my child.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired. I don¡¯t want to argue. I need peace. Please?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t even know I¡¯m here. Come to bed, baby.¡± He moved to the side to give me the space. I ignored the skipping in my heartbeat when he called me baby. God, how much I wanted to despise him, but I just couldn¡¯t. I loved this man more than I had loved anyone. ¡°Just go to another room. We¡¯ll talk in the morning.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded even if he looked hurt. When he got up from bed, I wanted to take it back, but I forced myself not to give in to my feelings. I went to bed as soon as he left the room. I could still smell him on the pillow, in my duvet. I shut the light off and closed my eyes when tears stung my eyes. A gasp slipped my lips. My eyes were wide. I was already wide awake when I felt a hand on my tummy. ¡°Did she just move?¡± A groggy voice behind my ear froze me. ¡°How are you here?¡± I turned to him, and he was staring at me.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°I let you sleep first. Then I came back.¡± At least he was honest this time. ¡°I didn¡¯t lock the door.¡± Clever, but I still wanted to punch him. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± I put my palm on my lower abdomen as I chuckled. ¡°She really moves.¡± ¡°Can you lie on your back?¡± Overwhelmed, I did as he said. He then got up and pressed his ear on my tummy. It was adorable. No matter how I wanted to be selfish, this was also his child. ¡°Hey, sweetheart. I¡¯m your daddy. I feel you, sweetheart, and you just woke up mommy.¡± I bit off my smile. I believed he loved his baby. I had no doubt, and if this would make our baby feel loved, I would give it to her. ¡°She stops.¡± He turned his head to face me. ¡°I think she doesn¡¯t kick much right now. Maybe next month or two, it will be frequent.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time?¡± His cheek was still on my tummy, but he made sure he didn¡¯t put pressure on it. ¡°I think she did yesterday. The same time, but I thought I was dreaming.¡± ¡°That¡¯s beautiful.¡± He smiled. It even reached his eyes. ¡°Yeah.¡± He sat down to face me. ¡°Go back to sleep.¡± When I turned to my side, I felt the bed dip, and I couldn¡¯t sleep anymore. ¡°I will do everything for you to gain the trust I lost, even if it takes a lifetime. I hope one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me.¡± I listened, and I had a feeling he knew I was still awake. ¡°Do you want me to go back to the guest room?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 91 LINDEN I watched the three-minute apology video of Tatiana Golds on TikTok. She posted it on all her social media ounts. ¡°To avoid paying the damages because there¡¯s no way she would win. This is what she did?¡± Sax wasn¡¯t happy. Neither was I, but not because of what she did. Gustav fled the moment he knew he was in trouble. Someone must have tipped him off. ¡°That¡¯s good for me, but the real culprit is still out there. Her reputation is over. No one would watch her video and take her review seriously, and that¡¯s because of a few bucks.¡± Sax looked at me. ¡°You mean your father-inw. That son of a bitch is sneaky.¡± ¡°Estelle must have spooked him with filing a case against his speech.¡± ¡°Precisely. So what exactly did he had on you that day?¡± I looked at the screen. The video blurred, and the sound muted. ¡°I was scared for Jasper. I know someone like Ilya wouldn¡¯t just execute him. It would be a mercy to shoot him in the head. Instead, Jasper would be tortured, skin alive until he died.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, bro.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Moses made an offer that Ilya and his family of criminals cannot touch us.¡± ¡°So all you have to do is fix your marriage, then?¡± ¡°I still have unfinished business with my monster-inw.¡± ¡°Oh, boy. Gustav left. Why would you still want to go after him?¡± Sax wasn¡¯t impressed and didn¡¯t try to hide it. ¡°He used my marriage and my friends to get to me. Do you think I would just let it go? He threatened the wrong person, Sax.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see what your wife has to say to that.¡± ¡°She already hates me. She¡¯s mad, and I don¡¯t know what to do anymore, but it¡¯s all my fault. I did it to myself because I thought she would understand once she knew the truth behind it. I hurt her, yeah, but it wasn¡¯t easy for me either. I went to save Jasper because I knew Estelle would discover the truth, but it wasn¡¯t the case for her.¡± ¡°If you go against her father, man, you might not have a marriage toe back. Trust me, she understands you, but she also understands the importance of family. Gustav¡¯s her family, too.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°What is your n with Gustav? What exactly are you going to use against someone like Gustav? If I know he¡¯s already with Weston.¡± ¡°That fucker too.¡± I breathed deeply. ¡°But I¡¯m not worried about Weston. The Agency will take care of him.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t exactly get a direct answer thest time I asked. That woman, Grace.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she say if I tell you, I have to kill you?¡± Sax¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Jasper is one of them? Holy mother of!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know until I was there.¡± ¡°The first time you went there on your honeymoon. So that was all the secrecy all about. Man, that was dope. I¡¯m happy for our man.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Hanslo will get early parole, but you know that¡¯s bullshit. The Agency will have an agreement with the federal prison, FBI, under discretion because Hanslo has a lot of useful information for The Agency.¡± ¡°Well damn.¡± ¡°Boss.¡± Lynx came in. ¡°Someone wants to talk to you at Osmium.¡± ¡°On Saturday?¡± My brows met together. ¡°She said it¡¯s important.¡± ¡°She?¡± ¡°Tatiana Golds.¡± ¡°She is at Osmium?¡± Sax asked in disbelief. ¡°Yeah, mate. I just received a call from Yue,¡± Lynx confirmed it. ¡°What does she want from me?¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°She won¡¯t say a word, only to you, boss.¡± I locked my jaw. My nose red. ¡°Fuck.¡± I met Estelle in the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Morning.¡± She just looked at me. Her expression was nk. She really took her anger to the next level. I couldn¡¯t me her, though. I might believe this wasn¡¯t acting. Our marriage slipped off my fingers, and my life was a pit. ¡°I have to go to Osmium.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me your business.¡± ¡°I¡¯m your husband, and I-¡± ¡°Then you should have done that long ago if you considered me your wife.¡± ¡°Jesus, baby. You¡¯re my wife.¡± ¡°The bearer of your child. The wife on paper. That¡¯s how you saw me. You never considered me as your partner in life, Linden.¡± ¡°Then let me. Give me this chance if that¡¯s how you see yourself. I will be a better husband, but it won¡¯t happen if you keep pushing me away.¡± ¡°Maybe this marriage is irredeemable.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that.¡± My voice came out harsh, causing her to shoot daggers at me. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not up to you, is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to us, Estelle. I¡¯m not done. I¡¯m not giving up.¡± ¡°You can talk to mywyers.¡± She got up from the chair. ¡°Oh, we didn¡¯t sign a prenup, but I will make sure I will get every penny I deserve.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe I was hearing this. Estelle was terrifying when pissed off. I was prouder of her and frightened at the same time. ¡°You can have all my money, baby. I don¡¯t give a shit. What I want in my life is my wife and my kid.¡± She looked surprised, but she quickly blinked it off. ¡°Anyway, I have to go to Osmium. Your friend Tatiana Golds just appeared there and won¡¯t talk to anyone but me.¡± ¡°She already made that statement. What else does she want?¡± ¡°Maybe to get fucked.¡± Boy, her face just turned red. Her eyes narrowed. Was she jealous? She didn¡¯t say a word, though. She just walked out of her kitchen. I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head in amusement. *** I¡¯d been watching Tatiana in the interrogation room for a minute, and she hadn¡¯t moved. Her eyes wandered around. Her hands remained under the table. My men had already checked the content of her bag, but nothing perilous. If I analyzed her bodynguage, I thought she was terrified. I entered the room. Her eyes recognized me instantly. I just sat across from her, and she hadn¡¯t said anything. ¡°No sarcastic remarks?¡± She smiled timidly. ¡°Your building is futuristic. Not as revolutionary as Dubai¡¯s Museum of the Future, though.¡± ¡°Enough. You already wasted my time. Why are you here, Ms. Golds after the major bacsh you started online?¡± ¡°I already made my statements and wrote an email to your wife. I admit what I did was wrong. When he offered fifty thousand dors, I fell for it. I forgot to think that no one would give me that money for free. I ended up ruining my rep. No one would trust me anymore. Even my manager and team left me because they had no idea what I¡¯d done.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re here to what? Apologize?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sorry for how I treated you, Sax, and the other guy. I¡¯m sure they are listening and watching us, right?¡± She looked at the two-way ss. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Not quite.¡± ¡°Why are you really here?¡± I looked at the time on my watch. ¡°The guy who sent me the cash.¡± ¡°Gustav dwyn?¡± ¡°No. I think he works for Estelle¡¯s father. I followed him when I couldn¡¯t contact the number we used tomunicate because I wanted to return his money. I ended up in a storage unit in the Edge. He was loading a lot of boxes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in the box?¡± ¡°Probably Star products.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Faux?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought it was worth looking into what¡¯s in there. I want a payback after what he did to me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the storage number?¡± ¡°212-B.¡± I rose from my seat. My guys are probably working on it right now. ¡°I¡¯ming with you.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°I just give you the location of possible knockoff products. I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Stay. If what you¡¯re saying is true, we will inform the cops. Don¡¯t worry. You will get all the credits.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need the credits. That bastard ruined my career.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not Gustav dwyn, and you happily epted his bribe, Ms. Golds. Stay put.¡± I walked out of the room. Sax and Kye met me in the hallway. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s telling the truth, or it¡¯s a trap?¡± Kye had a point. It could be, but it was worth looking into it. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why she stays here. If it¡¯s a trap, I swear to God, she will be locked up in jail for a long time.¡± Thirty minutester, we arrived at the storage facility. The storage manager cooperated and opened the unit for us. Tatiana was right. It was filled with at least thirty ubeled boxes. I held the manager¡¯s arm when he first stepped inside. ¡°Don¡¯t. Let my men check for the traps.¡± ¡°Why would someone put traps in the storage?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t disclose.¡± Yue scanned the room for IEDs or tripwires. ¡°It¡¯s clear.¡± Yue took one box and brought it to us. He ripped off the tape and opened it. ¡°It¡¯s Star products,¡± Sax said the obvious. I took one in the set and ripped the package open. I had a feeling it was more than just a rip-off product to ruin Estelle¡¯spany. I checked thebel and the product itself. It smelled the same as what Estelle used. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Did they steal these from the warehouse or the factory?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, man.¡± Kye checked the hand cream. ¡°It¡¯s good, though. No wonder this is best sellers.¡± I dug into the middle of the box, and I found something. A medium box, well-taped. ¡°Son of a bitch.¡± Yue took it from me to get rid of the tape around it. He then showed me what was that secured box. ¡°Call the DEA.¡± ¡°They want to drag my wife¡¯s name just to get her out of Star LLC.¡± ¡°Son of bitches. Who would believe them?¡± I turned to the manager. He shrugged. ¡°Sir, I have no idea. I don¡¯t check what they store in the unit.¡± ¡°I want the name of who rented here.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Kye went to him to the office. ¡°Keep it like this. We don¡¯t want to touch and ruin the evidence. My wife will be furious about this.¡± I turned to Sax, who started taking pictures. ¡°Put Lynx on. I wanna talk to Tatiana.¡± Sax dialed Lynx. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Lynx put Tatiana on. Don¡¯t allow her to go out of the building. There¡¯s maybe a way to clear her name and get her back to her job.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re helping her now?¡± Sax snorted. I looked at Sax. ¡°Everyone deserves a second chance, right?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Whatever, brother.¡± ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± Lynx said on the line. ¡°Mr. Linden?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s me. We found something. If this is legit, I can¡¯t disclose it right now. Maybe you just find a way to redeem yourself to your followers. I can¡¯t guarantee, but I will try to help you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you right now, but don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± ¡°I need to go home.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not safe. Wait until I arrange you a safe ce.¡± ¡°Am I in danger?¡± ¡°Not sure, but better safe than sorry.¡± ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡± My phone just rang. I gave Sax his phone and answered mine. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Your wife left the house.¡± ¡°What do you mean she left the house, Tarique?¡± Chapter 92 ESTELLE ¡°Sorry for the unexpected visit.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Jaymes hugged me. ¡°I always love having my children around on weekends, but since they¡¯re older and have busy lives, I¡¯m lucky if they visit me once a month. They went to the restaurant, though, or talked over the phone.¡± When he noticed just a car parked outside his house without my driver, he didn¡¯t have to say a word. ¡°I drove here.¡± ¡°Alone? All by yourself?¡± His eyes widened. I saw the shock and panic cross his eyes. I nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Does Gabe know? I heard he¡¯s back.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t wanna get you in trouble. Um, I can go back.¡± I pointed my thumb over my shoulder toward the car. ¡°No, honey. Get inside before my neighbors see you.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°I would love nothing but yourpany. I¡¯m cooking dinner. Do you eat roastedmb?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s delicious.¡± I dropped my bag on the couch and followed him into the kitchen. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get married again or date another woman?¡± ¡°I went on a few dates, but it didn¡¯te to the point of deciding to remarry.¡± ¡°I think you can still find someone, you know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to pry, honey. Are you sure you won¡¯t get everyone worried? Qamar must be in trouble looking for you.¡± ¡°I left a note. I¡¯m sure they will find it.¡± I sat on the stool as I watched him prepare a sd. ¡°Can I help?¡± He paused and looked at me. His eyes glittered in amusement. ¡°Do you know how to hold a knife?¡± I smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I was just kidding. I¡¯m good, Estelle.¡± He smiled back. Linden got his looks from his father. He might just look like Jaymes when he got older. ¡°There¡¯s a fruit juice on the fridge if you¡¯re thirsty.¡± I slid off the stool and went to the fridge. ¡°Wow. Do chefs have all this kind in their fridges?¡± I was referring to fruits, vegetables, dairy products, eggs, some things in the jar I didn¡¯t know, pickles, condiments, beers, and wine bottles. ¡°You don¡¯t have that in your kitchen?¡± ¡°I have my own fridge. The chef has his own. I don¡¯t check what¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°That¡¯s convenient.¡± I grabbed the jug and brought it to the ind. Jaymes already has two sses ready. I poured two sses, and then I went back to the stool. ¡°How¡¯s the baby?¡± I beamed. ¡°She- Oh crap.¡± Jaymes¡¯ eyes lit up. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything. I promise. So. it¡¯s a girl? I have a granddaughter. That¡¯s awesome, honey.¡± ¡°Yup. You have a granddaughter. She has started moving.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. She¡¯s active.¡± After he was done with the sd, he cleaned up pretty efficiently. ¡°Tell me why you escaped from your detail.¡± ¡°I just want to have alone time,¡± I told him truthfully. ¡°And you came to me. You make me happy, Estelle.¡± ¡°Yeah. I had dinner with Momst night. When I got home, Gabriel was already there. I am not ready to sit down with him and talk heart-to-heart. But we talkedst night. He even felt the baby moving.¡± ¡°She sensed her parents.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I asked excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s a myth, I think, but yeah. At around six or seven months, her hearing is developed so she can hear you. That¡¯s why mothers sing or read books for the baby.¡± ¡°Oh, God, I can¡¯t sing, but I can definitely read books.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I felt the excitement in my belly. ¡°They¡¯re going to find you once they figure you¡¯re not home.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I turned off my phone. I left my panic button and deactivated the GPS in my car.¡± Jaymes paused for a moment before he talked. I knew he had no bad intentions, but he was just concerned. ¡°You should not do that often, honey. People recognize you. You know London was taken when she sneaked out from the house?¡± ¡°Yeah. She told me she was kidnapped.¡± ¡°I know someone like you or like London. Your life can be frustrating, but that¡¯s the life you can¡¯t get away with. They recognize you wherever you go. And it¡¯s not safe, especially right now. You¡¯re pregnant to sneak out from your details. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell them when they call because I can guarantee they call everyone you know, search every ce, every CCTV and traffic cam.¡± ¡°I kinda made a few turns.¡± Jaymesughed in amusement. ¡°You nned this well and came prepared.¡± ¡°Well, I like to watch spy movies and googled it, too.¡± I drank the mixed fruit cocktail. It was so good and refreshing. ¡°The roastedmb is done. I¡¯ll let it cool off for a few minutes.¡± After our dinner, we settled on his couch in the living. ¡°Do you watch movies?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks.¡± ¡°I have readied the guest room for you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I stay?¡± My eyes widened in excitement. ¡°Estelle, you are my daughter-inw, my daughter. I would never let you drive home alone. So if you stay, stay, but if you n to go home, I suggest you call Qamar, or I will drive you back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay.¡± ¡°Good. There are Wi¡¯s old clothes if you wanna change.¡± ¡°Thanks, Pops.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. You¡¯re always wee toe and stay. This house is yours the moment you be my son¡¯s wife.¡± He took the TV remote from the coffee table. ¡°What are we watching? I¡¯ll raise my foot,¡± I told him as I put my foot on the coffee table. ¡°Go ahead, honey. You might get edema. You should tone down the salt in your food. ¡°I don¡¯t like salty food.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. What do we have here?¡± He scanned through a streamingwork. ¡°You know. I¡¯m not the type of inws who mind my son¡¯s personal business, but I¡¯m still asking you to give Gabe a chance. I know what he did was outrageous, and it hurt you, but your baby needs her father, and you will also need him.¡± ¡°I know, Pops.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want my granddaughter to grow up in a broken family. I know from my experience how difficult it is to raise kids alone. I know both of you can afford to hire nannies or give her a good education and secure her future, but her emotional and mental health is also important.¡± ¡°He told you?¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. Since he came back from bringing home Jasper, I haven¡¯t seen him. Wi talked to me, and Jasper came looking for him. I kind of put two and two together.¡± ¡°I love your son so much, Pops. He just hurt me. Gabriel apologized, but I¡¯m not ready to forgive him.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± Jaymes held my hand. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see my grandchild.¡± I smiled. ¡°I wish my father was as enthusiastic as you, Pops. Dad is a jerk, but he¡¯s still my dad.¡± Chapter 93 ESTELLE I slept soundly and woke up in peace. One thing I learned and realized was nothing that a good talk could not solve a conflict. I had breakfast with Jaymes, and damn, this man prepared breakfast for ten heads for American breakfast to Greek and Middle Eastern. After freshening up, I found him packing baked goods into a box, which smelled divine, sugary, buttery, and vani. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. I was already overwhelmed with the breakfast tray you prepared. Did you even sleep?¡± ¡°I always wake up at five and go to a farmers market. And the breakfast wasn¡¯t even a lot.¡± ¡°Thanks so much, Pops.¡± I looked at Wi¡¯s pajamas. ¡°Can I take this home? I will return once it¡¯s washed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m even surprised you¡¯re still wearing that. You can keep it.¡± ¡°It¡¯sfy. Thanks.¡± ¡°I will take this to your car.¡± He took the box wrapped in stic with him. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t wanna call Qamar and drive you home?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m going home anyway. They didn¡¯t call you?¡± I followed him out. ¡°Gabe called.¡± I paused. ¡°Did you tell him I was here?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say the exact words, but he got it. I told him to give you space.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°I have to go. Thanks for everything.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a stranger, okay? You can alwayse to the restaurant anytime.¡± I got into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Drive safe, honey.¡± He ced the box on the seat next to me. ¡°Bye, Pops.¡± He waved bye as I drove away from his driveway. I turned on my phone. I knew it would be blown up with messages and missed calls. I would deal with it once I got home. Right now, I would drive my way to my husband. It was already a minute since I turned on my phone, but the notifications kepting. I stole a nce at my phone when it rang. It was Linden. I couldn¡¯t help but smile, knowing he wouldn¡¯t stop until I talked to him. I knew him- he was as persistent and stubborn as me. ¡°Just wait a bit, big guy. I¡¯m driving.¡± I talked even if I hadn¡¯t answered his call. I looked at the rare view. A white-tinted car was driving fast. I was still in the neighborhood, and he was already driving like a lunatic without giving a signal. ¡°What a jerk.¡± I blew a breath. I shed and moved to anotherne. When he didn¡¯t slow down and still followed me, my mind went to what Jaymes told mest night. This driver could probably know me, but what did he want? I shook that thought off. He was probably just a drunk driver or having car trouble, or he was just insane as if he owned the road. All of a sudden, the white car drove fast. I thought it would overtake mine, but whoever was in it rolled the window down. A white guy around my age in the passenger waved. ¡°Hey!¡± I ignored it and felt a sudden twist in my stomach. I sped up a little to get away with them. It still followed me. My heartbeat sped up when only a few cars passed in the area. I rolled my window down. ¡°If you don¡¯t stop following me, I will call 911.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you. It¡¯s really you. Estelle dwyn. Well, fuck, baby!¡± He beamed at me, creeping me out. Jesus Christ! I should have taken the license te. I shut my window, picked up the phone, and quickly dialed Linden. ¡°It¡¯s about time you pick up my call, wife.¡± He didn¡¯t sound pissed, but maybe a little upset. ¡°I know you¡¯re upset-¡± ¡°Damn right, I¡¯m upset, Estelle. What were you thinking sneaking out of the house in the night? And you left a note and your panic button behind.¡± ¡°Can we talk about itter?¡± ¡°We will have a long talk, Estelle.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I took a deep breath. The car didn¡¯t leave despite my warning. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ming to take you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way. Can you track my phone?¡± My voice started shaking. This time, the white car¡¯s backseat window opened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you lost?¡± I quickly sensed the worry in his voice. ¡°No.¡± I swallowed hard. Tears started filling my eyes. ¡°Baby, I think I¡¯m in trouble. A white car has been following me since I left Pops¡¯ house, but I didn¡¯t get the license te.¡± ¡°Hey. Rx. Breathe, baby.¡± His tone suddenly softened. ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay. Keep it on speaker and concentrate on driving. I¡¯ll put you on a speaker, okay? Don¡¯t forget to secure your seatbelt.¡± ¡°Yeah. I have my seatbelt on. They won¡¯t leave me, and I already warned them.¡± ¡°You should not have talked to them, but it¡¯s okay.¡± He yelled, calling Sax. ¡°Turn your GPS on, baby.¡± I did as he asked. ¡°We¡¯re going. Call everyone. Inform the Gunner to track Estelle¡¯s car, a BMW M4. They have her license te. She¡¯s probably half a mile from Pops¡¯ house.¡± Another white guy peaked his head out, grinning as if he just hit the jackpot. ¡°Baby, are you with me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°We¡¯re on our way. Five minutes. Ten tops. I know the road. If you could drive to the more crowded street, that would be great. They can¡¯te close to you.¡± ¡°Or the traffic lights turn red. They will stop the car and knock on my window.¡± I still followed him despite my protest. I turned right. The white sedan turned, too. I¡¯d never been in a car chase before, and I didn¡¯t know this was scary. ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re not alone and can call for help.¡± My heart beat so fast. I was more scared of them hitting my car and that I might end up getting hurt, given my driving experience. ¡°There¡¯s a street light ahead,¡± I informed Linden. ¡°Good. When it changes yellow, don¡¯t stop. Drive fast.¡± ¡°Why? Why in the hell would I do that? Why should I cross and deal with the traffic enforcerster? I haven¡¯t had any traffic vitions, Gabriel.¡± I started yelling. It was true, probably because I didn¡¯t drive often. ¡°I¡¯m not Letty Ortiz.¡± ¡°Just do it, baby. Trust me on this. We¡¯re on our way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± I wanted to cry, but I needed to focus on driving. ¡°I swear once I get out of this alive, I¡¯m not driving. I¡¯m not sneaking out again.¡± ¡°Probably a good idea. It¡¯s my fault you sneaked out. I¡¯m so sorry, baby.¡± ¡°Can you apologizeter?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay. I wish I hade to you, but I thought you needed some time alone. I¡¯ll see you soon. End the call and dial 911. Now.¡± I ended the call and dialed 911. The traffic lights just changed to yellow. And my life depended on that three seconds. As Linden said, I didn¡¯t stop, but a car didn¡¯t just tailgate on me. It also crashed into the rear of my car. Chapter 94 LINDEN Fuck! This was what I was scared of, but I couldn¡¯t tell her it was her fault. She wouldn¡¯t have left the house if it wasn¡¯t for me. I pushed her hard, and now he and our baby were in danger. When I called my fatherst night, and he told me not toe, I had to honor his wish. She wanted space. She was safe there, but I should have gone there in the morning the moment I woke up. I was thinking of not ruining her mood. But everything happening around her was my fault. ¡°I made everything worse.¡± I fixed mym and rolled my shirt sleeves above my elbows. ¡°Don¡¯t go there, brother.¡± Sax gripped my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going to break every face whoever is in that car. I swear to God.¡± ¡°We¡¯re three minutes out,¡± Lynx interrupted to update us as he nced down at the iPad, monitoring our vehicle to Estelle¡¯s location. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s all my fault. I should have watched her. I failed in my job again. I¡¯m quitting once Mrs. L is safe.¡± Qamar had been ming himself since yesterday when he found the note and Estelle¡¯s panic button on the bedside. But I med myself more. I was her husband, and she was impulsive and doing something reckless because of what I did. I should have listened to her when she said she wasn¡¯t ready to talk to me, but I could me myself every day for the rest of my life, and what had already happened would not change. ¡°Can we stop with the ming game here?¡± said Kye. ¡°Let¡¯s not forget she has a mind on her own. Even if our job is to keep someone safe, we can¡¯t cage them in their houses. Q is used to Estelle telling him when she wants to go out. So when she sneaked out, we did not see thating.¡± ¡°Hunter would,¡± Sax said, ¡°But he¡¯s not here, is he?¡± Kye told him. I checked the time on my watch again because it felt like it was broken. My stomach still twisted painfully. I was the kind of man who had been in a lot of life-threatening situations, and I didn¡¯t get scared easily, but this time, my wife¡¯s and my child¡¯s lives hung in the bnce. I was frightened she would get into an ident or get hurt. I was scared of anything she would endure and the trauma that wouldst long in her memory. ¡°She¡¯s ten seconds to the traffic lights,¡± Yue informed from the Gunner room. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°What is it, Yue?¡± I could barelyprehend. My body vibrated with myriad emotions I didn¡¯t know how to control. ¡°She didn¡¯t make it to the crossing. The white car just hit the rear.¡± ¡°Yes. She stopped,¡± Lynx confirmed it. ¡°Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Tell me she¡¯s okay. Did she make it out of the car? The driver in the white sedan? I swear I¡¯m gonna kill them.¡± I growled out my anger. It didn¡¯t help when I heard nothing in response. ¡°We¡¯re one minute out.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t get closed. Park the car. I¡¯m walking.¡± The car hadn¡¯t been parked yet. I had already opened the door and jumped out. Judging by their footsteps, they followed suit. My adrenaline rushed. My body burned with anger and rage that I didn¡¯t know where to put it, probably to those motherfuckers. I ran as fast as possible towards the traffic light, ignoring the passing cars and those assholes cursing me. ¡°Boss, let us see the situation first.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my wife in there, Lynx.¡± I ignored his words. Nothing was more important to me right now than saving Estelle. I didn¡¯t care about my life as long as I knew she was safe. Themotion was crowded. When I crossed the street, the car almost mauled me. I couldn¡¯t give a fuck. I pushed through the sea of onlookers, ignoring their shits. ¡°Check the car behind her,¡± I talked to them. ¡°Don¡¯t ever let those fuckers go, or I will fire you all.¡± Lynx went left. I went right. When her car came into view, my knees almost gave up. The rear of her car was nearly totaled. Thankfully, the front was okay, but there was no guarantee that she was safe in the driver¡¯s seat. I sprinted to the driver¡¯s side. ¡°Sir, let me check the passenger. The door is locked.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my wife, officer. I suggest you back off!¡± I poured my anger towards the officer-the poor guy was only doing his job. ¡°But, sir.¡± ¡°Fuck off! She won¡¯t talk to anyone. Go, find the driver of that white sedan. That¡¯s your priority.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± He hesitated. Who was I to order him? Well, I was only the concerned husband of the terrified pregnant woman chased by those fucking assholes. I red at the police officer before I knocked on her window. Her hands were still on the steering wheel, hiding her face, but I could tell she was shaking. ¡°Estelle?¡± I knocked louder. She was startled in her seat. ¡°Baby, it¡¯s me. Open the door, please?¡± I knocked again. ¡°Can you open the door, baby?¡± She lifted her head, turning to my side. Her eyes widened, filled with tears and so much horror. ¡°Gabriel.¡± She managed to call my name in a muffled voice. ¡°Open the door, baby.¡± I mouthed. I could have easily broken the window, but I didn¡¯t want the broken ss hitting her. Shaking, she unlocked it. The moment I pulled the door, she utched her seatbelt, and I was already hugging her. I cupped the back of her head and kissed her. ¡°Baby, are you hurt?¡± I whispered. Jesus Christ. I almost cried. I¡¯d never felt so relieved to feel her in my arms. Her hands were still shaking. ¡°I¡¯m so scared.¡± ¡°It¡¯s over now. Are you in pain? Did you hit your head or something?¡± ¡°No. I think I¡¯m fine.¡± She shook her head in my embrace. ¡°I¡¯m taking you out now, okay?¡± When she nodded, I adjusted her seat and pulled her out, carrying her bridal style. ¡°Wrap your arms around me. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± All I heard was apuse. I wanted to yell at them one by one. These fuckers I hoped they didn¡¯t take pictures or videos. Thank God my men were reliable, blocking these nosy people. ¡°Kye, check her belongings. Take them with you.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Yes, boss.¡± ¡°The white sedan is empty,¡± Lynx said through them. ¡°Search anything in that car, the registration and te number, and send them to the Gunner. I want those motherfuckers found today.¡± Chapter 95 LINDEN I wouldn¡¯t give them a chance to flee. The moment they chased my wife, they knew they couldn¡¯t get away with it. And I would use all avable resources to find them. I didn¡¯t give a fuck. I wanted them found and locked up. ¡°Copy that,¡± Lynx affirmed. ¡°Brother.¡± Sax gestured. The ambnce just arrived. ¡°We let you get checked.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She still managed to refuse, but not today. ¡°No, baby. You just got into an ident. I will be with you.¡± Even if she protested, I was already taking her to theing stretcher. ¡°Put her down, sir,¡± the redhead woman said. I put her on the stretcher. The EMT secured her up and put an oxygen mask on her. ¡°Can you do it in the ambnce? I¡¯ming with her. I don¡¯t want anyone taking pictures of her.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She nodded, pushing the trolley back to the ambnce. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°Estelle dwyn ¨C Linden.¡± ¡°Your rtionship, sir?¡± ¡°Husband. She¡¯s pregnant. 16 weeks.¡± They checked her for bruises and wounds. ¡°Your name, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Estelle Linden.¡± My heart swelled with pride that she took my name. She took the mask off. ¡°I don¡¯t need this.¡± ¡°Just a sec.¡± I went towards the officer I yelled at earlier. ¡°Sir, I apologize for how I acted. I was scared for my wife.¡± ¡°All good.¡± He offered his hand. ¡°I will do anything to help find the driver of the white sedan.¡± ¡°Thank you so much.¡± I firmly shook his hand. ¡°I have to go. Again, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I went back to my wife. The female technician looked at her. ¡°That¡¯s why you look familiar. Do you feel pain, headache, nausea, vomiting? She asked as she checked Estelle¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any pain. I was just terrified. When the car chasing me hit the rear bumper, I managed to hold onto the steering wheel, and I was wearing my seatbelt all the time.¡± ¡°Do you feel difort in your abdomen?¡± She attached the cuff to check her blood pressure. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I suggest we take you to your doctor.¡± ¡°That would be great, ma¡¯am.¡± Estelle¡¯s eyes protested. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. No more driving alone. No more adventure until our baby is born.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I have enough trauma thatsts a lifetime. You didn¡¯t fire Qamar, did you?¡± ¡°After your stunt, I was nning to.¡± I joined them inside the ambnce. ¡°He med himself.¡± ¡°I just wanna be alone.¡± ¡°I know, baby. I felt you went to someone you could trust without judging your decision. So you went to Pops.¡± I took off mym. ¡°Yeah.¡± I held her hand and pressed it to my lips. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do that again. Don¡¯t risk your life. Use me as your punching bag if you¡¯re mad at me.¡± ¡°I thought I was gonna die.¡± Her eyes went teary. ¡°Myst thought before I crossed the yellow was you and our baby.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t manage to cross. And you¡¯re a fighter, Estelle.¡± My heart skipped a beat as she thought of me while she was in danger. If she stopped in that yellow, her car could have gotten more damaged. Those motherfuckers expected her to stop. ¡°You look calm. No preaching?¡± ¡°Wait until we get home.¡± I hid my smile. ¡°You just crashed my heart again, wife.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I could barely hear her words. I tipped my ear to her. ¡°What did you say? I didn¡¯t quite catch that.¡± Thedy EMT chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not repeating myself, Gabriel.¡± Now she was safe, her anger against me returned. She rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m okay with that. I might have to let her check my chest. I think I just had a mini heart attack.¡± ¡°A mild heart attack,¡± thedy corrected me. ¡°An NSTEMI, a partial blockage of your artery. Your heart suffered minimal damage.¡± ¡°Is that dangerous?¡± Estelle asked. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°He could have it, considering his age. His heart is probably filled with fats.¡± Thedy smiled. ¡°Even someone as fit as your husband has no exemption from a heart attack. No one is. No gender or social status, and myocardial infarction is a pain in the butt.¡± ¡°You heard thedy.¡± Estelle looked at me. Her voice filled with humor. ¡°He¡¯s younger than forty-five.¡± ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± I turned to Estelle. ¡°You look fine. We can have a talk then.¡± I paused and quickly changed my tone and facial expression. ¡°What the hell, Estelle?¡± ¡°At least you¡¯re not cursing me.¡± ¡°With all due respect to the nicedy. What the fuck, Estelle?¡± ¡°Okay, sir. Maybe you should let her rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am. But if you¡¯re bored with your job. I could use someone like you at Osmium.¡± ¡°Osmium Resource Group?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard of it?¡± ¡°I thought you looked familiar. Yue works there.¡± ¡°Wait. You know Yue? How?¡± Surprised, I asked. ¡°He dated my sister.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, I¡¯m Gabe Linden. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Kearney.¡± We did a handshake. ¡°Well, I¡¯m serious with my offer. If you¡¯re looking for a job. Juste to my office.¡± ¡°First, let us take your wife to the hospital.¡± ¡°I like your hair, Kearney,¡± Estelle said. ¡°You should really consider working at Osmium. They have a nonperishable donut.¡± *** I took her to our house after Dr. Chesca cleared her to go home. I would do everything and give everything to her just to avoid that kind of incident again. I put her in our bed. She didn¡¯t resist or insist on going to her house. She just held the duvet tight. ¡°Do you need anything?¡± She shook her head. Her gaze locked on mine. There was still horror in there- she was still terrified. I nodded. I suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say or do next. I was still overwhelmed as I propped my hands on my waist, constantly sighed, and never broke eye contact with her. I thought I would lose my mind the moment she said to track her phone. I knew something was wrong, and her voice was shaking. At that moment, I stopped breathing. My life was on hold. I¡¯d dodged bullets and cheated death many times, but when someone I loved was in that position, I now felt what she had been through when I went to rescue Jasper. I knew she loved me, and I loved her, and that was what she felt the day I went missing and broke her heart. ¡°Pops gave me something.¡± I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s in the fridge. Do you want me to take it for you?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not yet hungry.¡± All I did was nod like an idiot. ¡°I should leave you to rest.¡± I was about to leave, but she called my name and reached for my hand. I felt my muscles rx at that moment, and my heartbeat went normal. ¡°Can you stay for a while? I¡¯m still processing that I almost died.¡± ¡°I will be here for as long as you want.¡± I held her hand back, not letting it go as I traced circles on the back of her thumb. ¡°Where¡¯s the long talk?¡± ¡°I think I can dy it for a while until you¡¯re done processing.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. A small smile curved her lips. ¡°Thanks.¡± I only managed to hum. ¡°Did they find those guys?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Lynx¡¯s update.¡± ¡°I was so scared. I think they recognized me before I got in my car.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so. The address in the registration they found is just a few blocks from Pops¡¯s house.¡± ¡°What are you gonna do if you find them?¡± ¡°Break their faces,¡± I replied a-matter-of-factly. Her eyes went wide, and she did not say a word. ¡°I can¡¯t be lenient this time. They almost got you killed. Do you expect me to let it go after what they put you through?¡± ¡°I will sue them. I can identify one from the passenger seat and one from the backseat. I¡¯m with you on this, but breaking faces.¡± ¡°Good. You should rest.¡± ¡°You will leave once I fall asleep.¡± Her voice softened. ¡°Do you want me to leave?¡± ¡°And break those faces? No.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay.¡± Chapter 96 ESTELLE I jolted awake when I felt like I was falling while in my sleep. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Linden sleeping on the chair. He stirred and rubbed his eyes. He might have felt that I was looking at him. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°When I told you to stay, I didn¡¯t mean you stay on the chair. You can go out of this room or sleep in bed.¡± He smiled even if he looked tired. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Better than you, I guess. You will get a stiff neck if you keep doing that. I¡¯m fine. Get some rest.¡± ¡°I actually went to the bathroom to piss and checked Lynx for the update.¡± ¡°And then you sat back on the chair and fell asleep.¡± I got up and saw what I was wearing. I must have been so tired after that ident. I didn¡¯t know I had fallen asleep quickly. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you wanna watch me in the bathroom, too.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Call me if you need anything.¡± He stretched out. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I entered the bathroom. I suddenly felt like soaking in the tub, but at the same time, I had a lot of things to do. After I peed and cleaned up, I changed to somethingfy. I realized I didn¡¯t have enough maternity dresses. I got back to bed and took my phone. ¡°There¡¯s no video of me in that incident, is there?¡± ¡°I asked my IT to take down data rted to that incident online.¡± ¡°Thanks. Can you pass me the iPad?¡± He gave it to me, but I felt he wanted to say something. ¡°What is it?¡± I lifted my gaze to him. ¡°Tatiana went to Osmium yesterday.¡± ¡°Yesterday? Why I haven¡¯t heard of it?¡± ¡°I thought I told you about her. Instead, you gave me that angry look. And you were with Pops and out of coverage.¡± I ignored the sarcasm in his words. ¡°Sorry about that, but what does she wants from Osmium?¡± ¡°She gave us info about the imitation of your products.¡± ¡°What do you mean? How did she know?¡± My voice raised, causing him to groan. ¡°Calm down. When she couldn¡¯t contact your father, she followed the man working for him. She ended up in the storage unit. The guy named Paul-¡± ¡°Paul Murphy. He¡¯s Dad¡¯s right hand. What did he do?¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t wanna hear this, but I think they¡¯re trying to make it look like Star LLC is involved in drug smuggling.¡± ¡°Drugs?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing right now. I sat straight in bed. My mood soured as I red at my husband. ¡°What kind of drug?¡± ¡°It looks like Fentanyl.¡± ¡°What the hell? So, you found drugs in the storage unit? She could be the one who put it there.¡± ¡°Baby, Murphy rented that storage. It¡¯s in his name. The DEA confiscated at least thirty boxes of what looked like knockoffs of your products.¡± ¡°I wanna see the products.¡± ¡°While you¡¯re away, the team from yourb already checked the products. They did not meet the standard of your original ingredients. And the packaging isn¡¯t the same as the original.¡± ¡°I thought so. We have unique packaging.¡± I eyed him. ¡°So all this happened just one day, and today I almost died.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna tell you this because I don¡¯t wanna stress you out, but I don¡¯t wanna keep any more secrets from you. I am sure your mom sent you messages or emails.¡± I blew a breath. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Mom what happened today. I don¡¯t wanna worry her.¡± ¡°You have my word.¡± When I was speechless, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Can youe to bed, please?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Linden was still in jeans and a shirt. At least he had changed from what he wore this morning. Once he sat beside me, I moved closer so that I could hug him. ¡°I just need a moment of silence.¡± ¡°Take the time you want.¡± He let go a long sigh as he wrapped his arms around me. I still worried about his sudden kindness and consideration. I was afraid he would explode in anger and yell at me. I closed my eyes, gratified to be alive. I took his smell into my lungs. I almost wouldn¡¯t have experienced this. I listened to his heartbeat, felt the rise and fall of his chest, and sensed his warm embrace. ¡°I was looking forward to seeing you when I left Pops¡¯ house.¡± ¡°He called earlier, asking if you got home. I didn¡¯t tell him what happened.¡± ¡°I understand if you did. He insisted on sending me home, but I didn¡¯t want to bother him. I¡¯m sure if he knew, he would me himself.¡± ¡°Yeah. I know my father.¡± He tightened his arms around me, his lips pressed against the top of my head, yet I still felt his struggle. He didn¡¯t have to voice it out. I felt it in his touch, his breath, and his embrace. ¡°What¡¯s important is I¡¯m safe now.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°I was so worried. I thought I stopped breathing the moment you told me to track your location.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I lifted my chin and looked right into his eyes, still filled with pain. ¡°At that moment, I felt what you feel when I was away, missing for two days. I felt how you felt when I said those horrible things to you when I left to rescue Jasper. I couldn¡¯t describe how painful it was. I couldn¡¯t put it in words, and I put you through that. I made you suffer. What kind of husband did that?¡± A single tear rolled down his cheek. For the first time, he didn¡¯t hold it. He didn¡¯t hold his emotion. I saw his vulnerability. He showed me the other side of him, not just the tough and strong Gabriel Linden, his dark side, but his weak side, that he was just a man. And I loved him more than ever. As a small smile appeared on my lips, I wiped the tear with my thumb. ¡°I think that¡¯s the best thing in us. We got to share each other¡¯s emotions, pain, pleasure.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to feel that. That was not my intention. And I¡¯m sorry if I was such a terrible person.¡± ¡°Well, you just have to suck it up because that¡¯s what we signed up for. Remember?¡± He took my hand and kissed it. ¡°I love you, Estelle. I know I have a terrible way of showing it, but I will make it up to you every day for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not so bad.¡± He hugged me tight again. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for everything I put you through.¡± ¡°I know you are.¡± *** ¡°Number 3 and 5.¡± I pointed at the men aligned for me to identify. I couldn¡¯t forget those faces, even if they were covered with bruises. ¡°Are you sure?¡± the officer asked me. ¡°Yes. Hundred percent. That ugly blond said to me, it¡¯s you. It¡¯s really you. Estelle dwyn. Well, fuck, baby!¡± I mimicked his voice, causing Linden to groan beside me. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Linden.¡± ¡°Thank you, officer, for the quick response.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just doing our job, ma¡¯am, and with the help of Osmium, we captured them quickly.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Linden asked as we walked out of the police station. ¡°Better than those faces, I guess. You couldn¡¯t just help it, could you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± I looked at him before I climbed into the car. ¡°Their broken noses and your busted knuckles, or you went too far with your kickboxing?¡± ¡°How do you know I kickbox?¡± ¡°I might have googled your name.¡± He shook tough. ¡°You¡¯re stalking me, wife?¡± ¡°You stalked my Instagram, and why can¡¯t I google you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m notining. I¡¯m just afraid you might find something inappropriate attached to my name.¡± ¡°Like what? Surprise me.¡± ¡°He was a porn actor back in college,¡± Sax replied. ¡°Oh, that tells a lot.¡± My smile was meaningful, and I intended for him to see it. Lynxughed so hard. ¡°How can I unhear that, Mrs. L?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jacques. I wish I could help.¡± ¡°Yeah. I remember something back in-¡± Before he could spill the tea, I elbowed him, making himugh. He leaned in and whispered, ¡°I was not going to tell them. That stays between us.¡± ¡°You will sleep outside if you ever mention it again.¡± This time, I let everyone hear it. Linden¡¯s ear just turned red. ¡°So you were saying it was my fault?¡± ¡°Definitely, not mine.¡± ¡°But you still enjoyed it.¡± I elbowed him again. ¡°Maybe you should stop doing that, or I will get another tube on this side.¡± ¡°Oh, shit. I¡¯m sorry. Ipletely forgot about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You may damage my lungs, but you have to be very careful with your heart.¡± That got whistles from the guys. ¡°I never see thising. I thought Linden is just another asshole,¡± Sax implied. ¡°Fuck you, Ryder.¡± ¡°I love you, too, man. So you two are okay?¡± ¡°None of your business, mate,¡± Lynx scolded Sax. ¡°You two should renew your vows.¡± When he heard a groan from Linden, he just gave us a shrug. ¡°Just saying. It¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± Linden whispered, ¡°Will you marry me again?¡± Chapter 97 LINDEN What was I thinking? Probably, I wasn¡¯t in the right mind. I was just overwhelmed by the fact that I was making progress in getting my wife back. I was still stirred by what was happening around ustely. Estelle almost died. I mean, our lives were definitely not normal like everyone else. But if she said yes, I would marry her in an instant. But she neither said yes or no. We arrived home, and she pretended I didn¡¯t exist and walked inside the house. And here I thought I was making progress. I take that back. ¡°You okay?¡± Pissed off, I looked at Sax. ¡°Yeah. Why won¡¯t I be?¡± ¡°Then what just happened?¡± ¡°I wish I knew.¡± I left him and climbed upstairs. Maybe I should take it back or pretend it never happened. Thankfully, our bedroom door wasn¡¯t locked, so she wasn¡¯tpletely shutting me out. ¡°Estelle?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± she answered from the nursery. The room wasn¡¯t closed to be done. I found her sitting on the chair with an iPad in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m probably like a broken record right now, but are you okay?¡± She turned to me with a small smile, giving me the iPad. ¡°Yeah. Check this out. Tell me what you think.¡± I took it from her. It was the nursery designed in three different pinks. A floral wall pink. The pretty light pink chandelier hung from the ceiling. The name Rae was in white calligraphy decorated with flowers. On the floor was a pink carpet just right in front of the crib on the corner. Beside it was the old rose recliner, the bed was on the left, and the changing table and drawers were on the right.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°This is beautiful, baby.¡± ¡°I asked Wi to draw my design. Do you want to change something or add to that?¡± I smiled. ¡°No. The design is perfect. I love it. So we call our baby Rae?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s beautiful. The name suits her.¡± I gave her the iPad back. ¡°I thought so.¡± She got up. ¡°I¡¯m pretty tired. I¡¯m going to go to bed.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I turned and left the room. I didn¡¯t know how far the damage I had done, but I was going to correct it. ¡°I want Gustav to be found.¡± I met Lynx in the control room. ¡°What do you wanna do with him then?¡± I ignored the question. ¡°Any updates from the DEA?¡± ¡°We will have it by tomorrow. Anyway, I got a report from Team Phoenix. The mission was sessful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great news.¡± Quinn was on that team. The mission was to support the brothers-in-arms surrounded by the local arms lord in that area. They were ambushed and outnumbered. ¡°They¡¯ll be here soon.¡± ¡°Thanks, man. Let me know if you have an update on Gustav¡¯s whereabouts.¡± ¡°You got it.¡± I went back to Estelle. I found her justing out of the shower, still in their robe. She was even surprised to see me. Her eyes widened a little, gripping the tie a little bit tighter. ¡°Did I interrupt you or something?¡± ¡°No.¡± Her answer was a little defensive, but her cheeks said otherwise. ¡°Are you sure? I thought you were blushing.¡± I tried to hide my smile, but she saw it, narrowing her eyes at me. ¡°I was just trying to shave my legs but couldn¡¯t do it anymore. Am I that big?¡± She motioned at herself. ¡°No,¡± I replied confidently as I held her hand, taking her back to the bathroom. ¡°All your weight gain is just on your tummy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just saying that to make me feel better.¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡± ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°Help you shave your legs.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not urgent.¡± When she tried to pull her hand back, I tightened the grip. ¡°Let me help you, Estelle. It¡¯s my fault why you can¡¯t shave your legs. I knocked you up. The least I could do is help you, even as simple as shaving.¡± I let her sit on the bench before I went to get her shaver and cream on the cab. ¡°Are you sure you know what to do?¡± I smirked. ¡°I let you trim my beard, and you can¡¯t trust me with your legs?¡± I checked thebel of the cream as I sat on the floor. ¡°Is this safe?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I applied a good amount of her leg. The hair wasn¡¯t even long, but she was just self-conscious. I didn¡¯t give a damn about women¡¯s hair. It was expected and part of the body, but it was a plus if there was no hair on their private part. I put her foot on my knee so that I could shave her leg well. She fixed her robe to make sure I wouldn¡¯t see her pussy. I knew she was still naked beneath what she was wearing. I could even see the valley between her tits. Her nipples were prominent against the robe. Estelle had a pretty pair of long and toned legs. I started running the razor over her skin and finished it quickly. I did the same to her other leg. ¡°Let¡¯s wash your legs.¡± ¡°I¡¯mzy. I think it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Why do you want to shave your legs? Do you have a date or something?¡± ¡°Yeah. I have.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s wash them before your date, smell the cream on your legs, and think you did it for him. Lucky bastard.¡± I lifted her and carried her bridal style, making her yelp. ¡°I can walk, you know.¡± ¡°You just said you werezy.¡± I took her to the bathtub, grabbed the spray, and washed her legs. ¡°You should take care of these. They¡¯re perfect legs.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with your obsession with my legs, Gabriel?¡± ¡°Not only your legs. Pretty much every part of you.¡± ¡°Wow. Pretty much. So there¡¯s something you don¡¯t like in me?¡± ¡°Your stubbornness.¡± She rolled her eyes as she sat on the edge of the bathtub. Once I was done, I carried her again. ¡°I think I¡¯m a little spoiled for today. And you¡¯re not busy, ande here to help me shave.¡± She wrapped her arm around my shoulder. I looked at her. She was amused. ¡°I will do anything and give you everything.¡± I put her down on the bed and crawled to her side, making sure I wouldn¡¯t press her tummy. ¡°I need to change. I¡¯mpletely naked under this, Gabriel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the whole point.¡± I pulled the tie of her robe. ¡°Gabriel.¡± She protested, trying to cover her chest but not her whole body. I slipped my hands on her thighs to lift her robe. I was right. She was bare. I pulled the robe up, revealing her baby bump. I ced both of my palms and nted kisses on her abdomen. Her muscles contracted. I watched her bite her bottom lip. The grip on the robe tightened. I moved my lips down just below her belly button. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± she asked, but she wasn¡¯t mad as she pressed her thighs together. ¡°Open your legs.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Baby, open your legs, please?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to have sex with you. You won¡¯t probably do that once you see my inner thighs.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t have sex today, baby. Why won¡¯t you open your thighs for me to see? Because the skin darkens? It¡¯s normal, Estelle. I read it in a book.¡± ¡°You should stop reading that crap.¡± I smiled. ¡°I also read that most pregnant women enjoy sex during their first and second trimester. They have a high libido.¡± She groaned. ¡°Well, you should know that I¡¯m not like most women. I¡¯m not crawling into you, am I?¡± ¡°Then open your legs. Do you also need shaving down there?¡± ¡°Oh, my God,¡± she eximed with a little exaggeration. ¡°I waxed, okay? After my pregnancy, I¡¯m gettingser. And I will kick your face if you won¡¯t stop embarrassing me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. It¡¯s normal. A dark inner thigh won¡¯t change the way I feel about you. Now be a good wife and open your legs.¡± ¡°God. You¡¯re so annoying.¡± When she didn¡¯t resist, I held her legs and spread them apart. Her pussy was bare. Yeah, the skin darkened a bit, and she¡¯d sacrificed her body for our child, and it didn¡¯t change the fact that I loved her and would still eat her. ¡°Happy?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? Of course. I missed my pussy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so crude.¡± Her scowl deepened. I moved my head between her legs and kissed her inner thighs. I heard her groan, but not in protest. She was sensitive and responsive before. She was even more right now. ¡°Oh, God.¡± She moaned at the firstve of my tongue on her pussy. Voluntarily, she spread her legs apart, showing me the good part. My dick came alive. ¡°You still taste the same, baby.¡± I didn¡¯t waste any moment. I spread her pussy lips and ttened my tongue as Ipped her. Then I captured it with my mouth with a good suckle. I ignored how painful my cock was in my jeans. She writhed, fisted my hair, and bucked her hips against my face. I knew she missed me, and she missed this. I missed her. She wouldn¡¯t just admit it. I groaned in approval and satisfaction. I glided my tongue into her pussy, fucking her until she threw her head back, letting go of a long moan. Fuck. Her orgasm came so fast and intense that she didn¡¯t see iting. Her body just stiffened and then shuddered-the gush of her release flooded my mouth. Once I was donepping her clean, I lifted my head. She was breathing hard, staring at the ceiling, but with a smile on her face. ¡°That was fast.¡± ¡°I hate you right now.¡± She blushed deeper. I smirked. My ego is bigger than Texas. ¡°Wait. You want another orgasm?¡± ¡°Screw you, Gabriel. One orgasm doesn¡¯t change the fact that you hurt me.¡± ¡°I know, my love.¡± Chapter 98 ESTELLE ¡°So I did research about you, Estelle. Everyone knows you as the founder and chairman of Star LLC. For you guys who don¡¯t know about thepany, Star LLC is behind Star Cosmetics and Star Activewear. So, I found in my research that you just started thepany four years ago. What do you think is the reason behind this sess?¡± I had a few invites for an interview after what happened on the TikTok videos. Still, Leon Terry had credibility and a good reputation, so I epted his invitation to his podcast. Talking before the camera in front of many people sometimes terrified me. I was scared that I might say something that gave negative feedback to the audience or the words just slipped from my mouth, and there was no way to take it back. But I agreed to this Podcast interview because I thought I had something to say to the people who still believed in me. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. My father is a capitalist. I was raised in two homes between my dad¡¯s and my mom¡¯s. I won¡¯t sugarcoat it, but my father has more money than Mom. After graduating from college, I wanted to pursue things independently. I don¡¯t want to be just Gustav¡¯s daughter. I want to make a name on my own. So, I started Star LLC. Just for the knowledge, my father didn¡¯t help. It¡¯s not a bad thing. I¡¯m not keeping grudges against my father.¡± I chuckled. ¡°But it made me realize something, that you can¡¯t depend on your allowances from your parents if you wanna be sessful. You have to work hard for it on your own.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°I¡¯m sure you have encountered challenges.¡± ¡°Yeah. A lot. I was only twenty-one. For most, I¡¯m already an adult, but I didn¡¯t know anything about managing. Should I consult awyer? Should I hire people? But the ideas were already there. Mom came to help despite the fact she had to work five times a week. I didn¡¯t me the people who didn¡¯t believe or trust me. I mean, you can¡¯t just put your money and invest in something you have never heard about or have no guarantee of sess. It was really a gamble.¡± ¡°Tell me what¡¯s so special about your productspared to others.¡± I smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t likeparing. Consumers have different tastes and like different products. Like skincare, sometimes it doesn¡¯t have the same result on someone, even if they have the skin type. They¡¯re both safe and almost have the sameponent. But what is so special about what I do, what my products do, it¡¯s not only affordable or essible to everyone. I may not be as famous as those celebrities, but I put effort into creating something I could be proud of. I use my own products. If you go to my bathroom, my closets, and my dresser, you will see Star everywhere because I believe and trust that my products are good quality and effective.¡± ¡°The new ads say about diversity. Why did you choose that campaign?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do that because it¡¯s the trend or to be relevant. The ad is my campaign for less-represented people representing differentmunities. It didn¡¯t say much, but I wanted to reach out. What ethnicity or race you belong in doesn¡¯t make you less than anyone. Everyone is special in their own way. So as the skin, your health, mind, and heart. Everyone deserves to be loved, beautiful, and confident in their skin, gender, and size.¡± ¡°I think that was beautiful. I have to ask you this. Lately, people divided their opinion after the post of a live review of your beauty products. Then, a weekter, Ms. Tatiana Golds posted another video and apologized. Some believed yourpany forced Ms. Golds to make the video to save the losses. Some believed thepany would sue her if she didn¡¯t take back what she said.¡± ¡°I believe it was clear, in her statement, that she never took back what she said. She apologized to mypany because she made some mistakes. I cannot disclose this due to legal aspects, but Ms. Golds and I have no grudges against each other. I, for one, support vloggers, content creators, and social media personalities because people don¡¯t know how much they help the startuppany and smallpanies out there. They have a huge help to our economy, as well.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the next lineup on Star?¡± I smiled excitedly. ¡°For now, I¡¯m focused on a new project, but it¡¯s not gonnae out until next year.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take this talk to something more personal.¡± My gazended on Linden, watching behind the camera. ¡°Can I change my mind?¡± Leonughed. ¡°You¡¯re married, and obviously, you have no intention of hiding your baby bump. Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thanks. And yes, I¡¯m married to a wonderful human being, and we¡¯re expecting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so great. Also, people have mixed opinions. It doesn¡¯t matter what they say as long as you¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°I am. And yeah, they don¡¯t have a say in my personal life.¡± I felt like the next question was going to make me blush. I read the list of questions but didn¡¯t have answers in my head. ¡°How did you two meet? How long have you known each other? These are only two questions that I have picked from thousands ofments on your Instagram post.¡± ¡°We met in Italy for the first time. I was on a long and overdue vacation. He didn¡¯t introduce himself. So I did.¡± My answer got augh from Leon and the staff and audience watching, including my husband. ¡°You know, if you ask me if I believe in love at first sight. I¡¯d say no. What happened to me and my husband was like we were brought to that ce to meet. Fate or whatever you call it, but that¡¯s how I see it.¡± ¡°How did the marriagee to the topic?¡± ¡°Honestly, I had no ns on getting married until maybe I¡¯m thirty. He knew that. I dodged the topic many times. I believe in marriage, but considering how I grew up, I was scared that my marriage wouldn¡¯t work like my parents. And me and my husband just met, and we didn¡¯t know each other, but he felt, and I felt that it might lead to that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve noticed you never mention his name. Did he tell you not to say his name live?¡± ¡°Oh. It¡¯s not a secret. His name is Gabriel Linden. It¡¯s not even a surprise to everyone because he posted our wedding photo before I could.¡± Linden beamed in the background. ¡°Is that a thing between you two?¡± ¡°I posted our picture together before we got married. He didn¡¯t even follow me on his social media ounts, but I wasn¡¯t mad.¡± ¡°When you named your husband, your eyes lit up.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I raised a brow. ¡°I should look at myself in the mirror more often.¡± ¡°People wanted to know. I¡¯m also interested in knowing how did he propose?¡± ¡°Oh, boy.¡± I raised my hand to check my rings. ¡°He found out I was pregnant by himself. I couldn¡¯t tell him because I knew he would bring up the marriage. So I woke up still in my pajamas and suddenly heard a fireworks disy. I opened the window, and there, I saw the aerobatic disy. So, how can I say no? The same day we got engaged, his friends came over, and we got married the next day, and I never regret that decision.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty romantic. If you could turn back the time, would you change anything about your life? What would it be?¡± ¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t change a thing about my life. I¡¯m happy where I am, what I¡¯ve aplished.¡± I shook my head. ¡°My only regrets are not spending much time with my husband, not giving him enoughpliments, and appreciating every effort he makes. He¡¯s such a good person who always makes me special in his own way.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Linden just said from the audience. Leon smiled at Linden¡¯s words. ¡°What lesson does a marriage life give you?¡± ¡°I learn a lot. One thing is that I have to share the bed.¡± Leon and Lindenughed. ¡°I learned to share my life, my experience with my husband. I learned to be a listener. I learned to be selfless and selfish. I learned to ept his opinion because he has learned a lot in life. He¡¯s more experienced than me, but our age difference wasn¡¯t a bad thing between us. We learn from each other. If I could say one thing about Gabriel, he¡¯s the best man I¡¯ve ever met, and I¡¯m lucky to have him as my best friend, lover, anchor, and protector, and our baby would be lucky to have him as daddy.¡± ¡°That was beautiful. Thank you, Estelle. One more thing, if he asks you right now to marry him, renew the vows, would you say yes?¡± ¡°Wait.¡± My jaw dropped. ¡°He didn¡¯t put you up to this, did he?¡± ¡°No. Why?¡± Leon also looked surprised. ¡°He asked me, but I haven¡¯t given him the answer.¡± I shut my mouth. ¡°You have to cut this one.¡± ¡°No, Leon. Don¡¯t cut it. This is the best part.¡± Lindenughed so hard. I could see his teary eyes. ¡°This is not a part of the questions.¡± I waved my hand, but they kept onughing. ¡°That¡¯s all, folks. I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you. Have a great day.¡± *** Lying down beside me, I felt he wanted to ask something. I could feel it in the air. ¡°Just say it.¡± ¡°What you said in the interview, are they true?¡± ¡°Probably fifty percent of it.¡± He stiffened before shifting. ¡°Baby.¡± He faced me. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°You¡¯re more curious about knowing what I said about our marriage. I know. And yes, those were true.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He seemed to find himself hard to believe. ¡°Yes, Gabriel. You are one in a billion. Rae would be lucky to be your daughter because I am lucky to be your partner in crime.¡± ¡°Why did you marry me?¡± ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± I tried harder to put on my serious face. ¡°You always have a choice.¡± ¡°Maybe I just like the baby daddy very much.¡± He leaned in, barely brushing his lips against mine. He might be testing the water because it had been a while since we kissed. After he gave me an orgasm, he didn¡¯t disturb me. It was a bummer, but I knew he didn¡¯t want to push me hard. I opened my mouth and brushed my tongue on the seam of his lips, making him groan in approval. My inner self celebrated. My body was on fire. It wasn¡¯t just my libido, but I missed my husband. I missed being with him without thinking about the chaos outside. As I slipped my tongue in his mouth, he tasted minty. I slid my hand under his shirt, on the taut v of his hips. Linden was hard in that area, like a b of rock. Our tongues dueled. My hands explored while his hands were on my butt. I found the button of his jeans, popped it open, and zipped the fly down. I was already wet and aching until, all of a sudden- he broke free. I was confused and hurt a little. ¡°You did not answer my question, Estelle?¡± ¡°Did you ask me a question?¡± My brows furrowed. He groaned. ¡°You know my question.¡± ¡°You¡¯re reminding me of your question while we are in the middle-¡± ¡°Of fucking each other?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What? No? Why?¡± ¡°No, not your question. I said no, we¡¯re not in the middle of fucking each other. We¡¯re warming up.¡± ¡°My question, Estelle.¡± He groaned again. ¡°Jeez. I won¡¯t answer that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Baby.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push it. Ask me again next week.¡± Chapter 99 LINDEN ¡°Guys, I just came into your life months ago, and you took me and weed me with warmth and open arms. This morning, I¡¯ve been thinking of what to say because there are no words enough to express how grateful I am to meet you all. Thank you for being there for us.¡± She looked at me as I stood next to her in front of our family, loved ones, and friends.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Do the honor.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°Enjoy the dinner.¡± The surprise was about to be revealed. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± London was the first to react. Her eyes were wide. The moment she took the table napkin, the words It¡¯s a girl were written on the te. ¡°I thought it was a boy. Congrattions.¡± Everyone gushed and apuded as we revealed the gender of our baby to them. ¡°I know it.¡± Estelle¡¯s mom had a teary eye as she lifted the te that would be their gift from us, customized in Paris. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, honey.¡± Estelle went to her mom to hug her. ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± ¡°Well, we have a job to do, guys,¡± Kye told Lynx, Sax, Qamar, and Quinn at the round table. ¡°Congrattions, brother.¡± Striker stood up from his chair to give me a hug. ¡°Thanks. And you will be a father in two weeks, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m excited and terrified at the same time. I can¡¯t wait to see my baby.¡± As we had dinner, I watched my family grow. We would have a new family member in a few weeks, and then I would be a father in a few months. Moses, Tate, and my father were in a deep conversation. My guys were also enjoying the dinner, talking about the sessful mission. My wife, London, and Striker were at my table, and I wasn¡¯t aware he¡¯d been watching me. ¡°Don¡¯t you like the food?¡± I asked Striker. ¡°I¡¯m eating, brother, while you haven¡¯t touched yours.¡± ¡°I am just reminded of something.¡± I watched my wife talking with London about the podcast aired on YouTube yesterday. It has already garnered a million views. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°If we didn¡¯t meet, I wouldn¡¯t have met those idiots.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have met these guys. I wouldn¡¯t have met your father, who pushed me to Italy, and I wouldn¡¯t have met my wife.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fate, brother. Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect you to fall in love, have a girlfriend, get married, and have a kid in less than a year. I know you will have to settle down one day, but it also shocked me. I¡¯m just happy that you¡¯re happy.¡± He looked at the table beside us. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for those idiots to find their girls.¡± Before I could reply, my wife and Londonughed as if they just poked fun at someone. ¡°What are you two pregnantughing about?¡± Striker asked them. ¡°It¡¯s a pregnant thing,¡± my wife answered. ¡°Care to share.¡± I looked at both of them. ¡°Oh, no,¡± they chorused, staring at each other before theyughed again. ¡°Careful, Vanderford, you might break your water,¡± Striker said. I exchanged looks with him when I heard nothing from the two pregnant. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Wi and Deirdre were also in a conversation. ¡°Hey, stop staring. Let them eat.¡± Estelle gripped my knee. ¡°I wasn¡¯t, baby. I¡¯m just happy that our life is back to normal.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± London disagreed. ¡°Once the baby is out, your life will never return to normal.¡± ¡°Are you trying to scare me, sweetheart?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just stating the truth. I heard you read a lot of books about fatherhood.¡± ¡°Did Estelle just tell you that?¡± ¡°Yeah. We talked about you.¡± ¡°Wow. So that¡¯s what you two areughing about?¡± ¡°Women, when put together in one room, are like nuclear bombs, brother. So be careful.¡± ¡°To our women.¡± I raised my ss. ¡°To being a father.¡± Striker raised his. Our women followed. After dinner, Moses sat beside me as our guys yed football in the backyard. ¡°I remember something like this happened on my son¡¯s birthday. I was so happy I couldn¡¯t even stop thanking God.¡± ¡°Yeah. I remember I was so like meeting my hero for the first time and, at the same time, intimidated by you. I¡¯ve met billionaires, my friends are, but meeting you was like meeting the Potus, you know. I was even scared to hold my hand out, afraid you might not shake it.¡± Moses chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve known you for years since I found out you and my son were in the same unit. I checked about who you are.¡± ¡°So, did you find something that interests you?¡± ¡°I found your mother.¡± My head snapped at him. ¡°My mother?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t want to tell you about this. I don¡¯t wanna ruin your night, but if you¡¯re interested, I can tell you where she is.¡± I looked away and shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not interested. Why would I? She¡¯s not interested in us. I¡¯m just surprised she¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°Okay, son.¡± He patted my knee. ¡°Maybe you know where to find someone I want.¡± ¡°Gustav?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You should know Paul Murphy is in the custody of the DEA.¡± ¡°Yeah. I know. He said Gustav didn¡¯t know what he did. He worked alone. I don¡¯t believe a shit he said. Gustav might threaten his family if he involved him if he got caught.¡± ¡°You should leave this behind. Leave Gustav alone.¡± ¡°Why?¡± My eyes narrowed. ¡°After what he did to me and Estelle, I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°You have to learn how to move on and leave things where they should be, like how you moved on without your mother, Gabe.¡± ¡°Are you protecting Gustav?¡± ¡°The hell I am. I am protecting you and your wife.¡± ¡°You have to convince me, boss. Why should I leave him alone?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still your father-inw, your wife¡¯s father. You and Estelle are in a better ce now. You are back together. You should keep it like that. Forget about Gustav since he seemed to have left you alone. One day, he will realize what he¡¯s done ande to see his daughter and granddaughter. You should prepare yourself for that.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I won¡¯t let him get near my daughter, boss.¡± ¡°I was a terrible father-¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t destroy Striker.¡± ¡°I did. You just don¡¯t wanna see it was my fault. I left him and my wife for money. Sounds familiar? Gustav sold Estelle to Weston, and you were there to save her. You got the girl, married her, about to have a child. Be happy without toxicity in your life. But you have to give Gustav a chance if hees asking your forgiveness. You¡¯re a good man, Gabe. A better man than him. Hell, a better man than me.¡± ¡°How about Weston? I haven¡¯t been fully back at the office. I don¡¯t request a report if it is not urgent, but I¡¯m sure you know where he is.¡± ¡°His mistake is working with Gustav to take down Estelle. I know for a while now he¡¯s been smuggling weapons to the terrorists, ganglords, and mafias, but I couldn¡¯t disclose that to the agency and our partners. Besides, he¡¯s not a bigger fish. Your friend is back to his job.¡± ¡°Yeah. Jasper will be fine.¡± ¡°What¡¯s really bothering you?¡± I turned to him. ¡°What made you say that?¡± ¡°Estelle will marry you again. When the baby is born, she will stay with you.¡± ¡°How are you so sure?¡± My brows furrowed. ¡°You don¡¯t see how she looks at you? She¡¯s as lovesick puppy as you, dumb.¡± I shook as I tried hard not tough. ¡°You just called me dumb and my wife a lovesick puppy. I can¡¯t believe it.¡± When I felt someone was watching me, I looked at my wife- she was looking at me, smiling with the otherdies. ¡°She didn¡¯t even say she loves me and wants me to ask her again next week.¡± ¡°Be brave, fearless like how you face an enemy. Ask her to marry you right now?¡± ¡°And what if she says no?¡± ¡°Jesus, son. You are surrounded by the people who love you. What are you waiting for? Be on one knee and ask her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a ring.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need one.¡± ¡°Fuck it.¡± I stood up and went to their table. ¡°Estelle.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± She was still seated and quickly answered as if I surprised her. Wi, Deirdre, and London didn¡¯t seem to pay attention to us. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Two nights ago, you told me to ask you again. We¡¯re surrounded by our family, our loved ones, and friends. I know it hasn¡¯t been a week.¡± I went on one knee. God help me. ¡°I know I¡¯m not a perfect husband, not even close to a good one. I¡¯ve done terrible things in my life, but one thing I did right was marry you. I want to renew our vows, so if you would give me the honor of marrying you again-¡± ¡°Yes, dumbass.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not done.¡± When she rose from her chair, my breathing held. My heart skipped a bit. She knelt before me and cupped my head. ¡°I love you, Gabriel Rembrandt, and I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re not a perfect husband. I only wanted a good husband, but God gave me a better one. Yes, I will marry you again.¡± Then she kissed me hard and quickly with a loud pop. A loud apuse erupted around us, and I was still speechless. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked. I was still processing when she broke intoughter. ¡°Guys, I just made him speechless. Can you imagine that?¡± When I found my bearing, I smiled with teary eyes. ¡°That never happened until tonight.¡± Chapter 100 ESTELLE ¡°How did you find me?¡± My father was surprised to see me in front of him. If it weren¡¯t for Linden, I wouldn¡¯t be here today. ¡°Gabriel and Moses know where you are.¡± I sat next to him. ¡°Does he know you¡¯re here?¡± My father loved arts- a ce like this would be the first on his list to be visited whenever he was out of the country. When Gabriel told me my father had been sighted in London, I knew he would be in a museum or art gallery. ¡°He actually pushed me to see you.¡± He chuckled, but it sounded like a scoff. ¡°That¡¯s first.¡± ¡°Dad, I can¡¯t leave him for you. I love him, and he¡¯s the father of my child.¡± I ced my palm on my abdomen. She was growing fast. I wasted no more time when Dr. Chesca permitted me to travel. ¡°I know. So, Gabe Linden is extending his olive branch.¡± ¡°Can we just bury the hatchet and move on? I¡¯m so sorry for how I treated you. I was just angry. The pressure of marrying yton went up my head. And honestly, I couldn¡¯t see myself with him. I know his reputation, and I couldn¡¯t be with a man like him without ambition.¡± ¡°You have no idea how hard it was for me to ept what you did, but somehow, you made it work. You¡¯re on the right track, Estelle. I don¡¯t like yton for you, too, but you signed that document that made it legal. I also realized I didn¡¯t know them well, especially Tyrion.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Tyrion hates me, but business is business. Our deal is over. I hope he gets to ept that.¡± ¡°His Weston Yachts is just a front for something inexplicable, and he¡¯s losing control over thepany. I had no idea what he did until you ran away. He used me against you, and I could not get out of it. I asked for a favor once, and he used it against me. If I didn¡¯t do what he asked me to do, he would ruin CTEC and get involved with something dirty.¡± ¡°Linden gave me a brief background check of every major shareholder. Are you talking about a woman you forced to sign an NDA and paid her to shut up?¡± Dad looked away, confirming I had on him. He was ashamed and guilty. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Dad. I¡¯m not judging you. I¡¯ve learned to ept my imperfections, bad traits, and yours. You may not be a perfect Dad, but you will always be my father.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done terrible things, and I¡¯m going to change for good.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help each other then. Do you know what Paul has been doing?¡± ¡°I just heard it from a reliable source, and I wasn¡¯t aware he¡¯d been working with Tyrion all this time to destroy Star.¡± ¡°So you and Tyrion have fallen out?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I am here. He has someone, a hacker. That¡¯s how I got Jasper Greer¡¯s information. He told me I could use that to get into you. Is he okay?¡± ¡°Jasper? Yeah.¡± I stood up. ¡°Can we go somewhere? Buy some fish and chips.¡± Dad smiled. ¡°Are you craving for fish and chips?¡± ¡°I just wanna walk with you. The weather is good.¡± We left the museum, and there was a coffee shop around the corner. Qamar was tailing us. ¡°Tell me how did you convince Mr. Linden to visit me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need convincing. This is his idea. And I don¡¯t want to have any more quarrels with you. You¡¯re right. You are my father-¡± ¡°I¡¯m also wrong of putting you in a tough position. I should have supported your dreams. That was my biggest mistake. I should have believed in you. I know I was not a good father, and I filled my heart with anger and angst from your mother and used it against you.¡± ¡°Gabriel wanted me to fix if there¡¯s something left to fix between us. He wanted me to sort things with you before I get married and have a baby.¡± Dad stopped and looked at me. ¡°You¡¯re getting married again?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I showed him the new ring just next to my pink engagement ring. ¡°I was hoping you could be there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re inviting me to your wedding?¡± He still looked surprised. ¡°Yes.¡± I hooked my hand around his arm as we walked through the street. ¡°Is your husband aware of your ns?¡± ¡°Yes. He told me we should invite you. I would want you to be there, Dad.¡± ¡°Is he treating you all right?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Gabriel is a good person. He could be uptight regarding my safety, but I couldn¡¯t me him after what happened to me.¡± ¡°I heard what happened. Are you okay?¡± I nodded. Sometimes, it still gave me terror whenever I was in the car. ¡°Yeah. I was so terrified I thought I was going to die. I shouldn¡¯t have left the house and drove alone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that again. Estelle, you¡¯re not that little girl who could y in the park alone anymore. You¡¯re also married to Mr. Linden. You are one of the wealthiest people in the country. You can¡¯t ignore that people won¡¯t recognize you. They can also take that as an advantage.¡± ¡°Jaymes also said the same thing. And I learn from it, Dad. It was so terrifying.¡± ¡°You should listen to your husband. Enough of running away, walking out when you won¡¯t get what you want.¡± Iughed and stared at him. ¡°Did you just say I should listen to my husband?¡± ¡°You look happy and well. I guess he does take care of you and treats you well.¡± ¡°He does. He¡¯s been amazing.¡± Once we were near the coffee shop, I asked him. ¡°I want you to meet him, Dad. Please?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea.¡± He didn¡¯t hide his hesitance in his voice, which was all over his face. ¡°Trust me. This is the best time. Please, Dad? I also want you to have at least a civil rtionship with him. Just give him a chance.¡± Dad blew a breath before he agreed, ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I smiled as we entered the coffee shop. I instantly saw Linden¡¯s back. He wore a well-tailored dark blue suit and always pulled it off nicely. With him were Lynx, Sax, and Yue. Kye was handling an operation back home. Once we were closer, Lynx rose from the table. Sax and Yue followed and went to the other table next to it. Linden stood up and buttoned his suit before he turned to face us. Before he could say something, I widened my eyes at him as my warning. Instead of giving me back a warning, he just smiled. ¡°Mr. dwyn.¡± He offered his hand. ¡°Good to meet you.¡± ¡°Mr. Linden.¡± Dad shook his hand. ¡°How are you finding London so far?¡± ¡°We just arrivedst night. I haven¡¯t had a chance to look around, but I¡¯ve been here before.¡± He gestured for my father to take a seat and unbuttoned his suit before he sat back. Dad sat across him while I chose the seat between them. After they ordered coffee and tea for me, my father cut the chase. ¡°So, you¡¯re marrying my daughter again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n, sir. I proposed again, and she said yes. I know it¡¯s toote, but my father raised me in a traditional household and taught me to be a good man and to respect the parents of my wife. He said your inws are your second parents. So, I¡¯m hoping I could ask for your blessings.¡± My mouth hung open. It wasn¡¯t a part of the n because he never mentioned something like this. I shut my mouth when Dad looked at me. ¡°You have my blessings.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir. I promise I will treat her with respect.¡± ¡°If you ever mistreat her, I will do everything to kill you.¡± ¡°Dad.¡± My eyes went wide. ¡°Noted. If I mistreat her, I will kill myself, too.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Gabriel.¡± I turned to him with the same reaction. ¡°Enough of the word kill for today.¡± He just smiled at me while my heart was in my throat. ¡°I haven¡¯t apologized for what I did and how I acted. Please ept my sincerest apology.¡± I couldn¡¯t contain my smile. I didn¡¯t expect that from him, too, but I hoped he could treat my father like Moses or how he saw Mom. ¡°I would like very much if we could just forget what happened. Tyrion put me in a tough spot. I know there¡¯s no way to undo how I treated you. Looking at my daughter right now, I was wrong. You are a good man, Mr. Linden. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry too, sir, but please call me Linden or Gabe.¡± The coffee and tea arrived. ¡°So, have you thought of where you wanna get married?¡± ¡°Italy.¡± I raised a brow at Linden. ¡°Italy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s where we met. What do you think? But you¡¯re the boss, baby.¡± ¡°What do you think, Dad?¡± I turned to Dad. ¡°You two are the ones who get married. It¡¯s your choice, but I will be there anywhere where to choose to renew your vows.¡± The door chimed. The shop went silent. I turned to see who walked in, and that made everyone stop. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± Chapter 101 LINDEN Something was different with Gustav today. He was calmer, and I couldn¡¯t see a hint of anger, arrogance, and disgust in his eyes. He seemed to have learned his lessons or had epted that he wouldn¡¯t win in tearing Estelle and me apart. When the door chimed, I knew it would be Moses, but what surprised me was the person with him. ¡°Why is Mom with Moses?¡± Estelle widened her eyes like me. Good question. ¡°Gabe. Honey.¡± He kissed my wife on the cheek before he shook hands with my father-inw. ¡°Gustav, how are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing good. Thank you.¡± ¡°Deirdre, good to see you again.¡± Gustav kissed his ex-wife on the cheek. ¡°You look good, Gustav.¡± Deirdre smiled. From what Estelle told me, they couldn¡¯t stand one another, but today seemed different. I didn¡¯t see bad blood. ¡°You look beautiful as always.¡± ¡°Thank you. I eat organics, sleep early, and do yoga.¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Estelle hugged her mother. ¡°Honey, I love your shoes.¡± She looked down at my wife¡¯s sneakers. ¡°Well, my feet hurt when I wear high heels, but I don¡¯t have swelling.¡± ¡°Fedal edema.¡± ¡°Yes, nerd.¡± Estelle rolled her eyes at me. ¡°You should not. I know you¡¯ve been wearing heels for a long time, but it¡¯s not safe for pregnant, and you have to be careful with your back.¡± ¡°Tell her that, Deirdre, because sometimes, when it came from me, she didn¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡± She leaned in and whispered, ¡°Why are you with Moses?¡± ¡°I invited your Mom to join me. I told her that I would be meeting you. She came with my jet. It conserves fuel and energy.¡± ¡°You heard me?¡± Estelle¡¯s cheeks were red. ¡°I may be separated from my husband, but Moses and I are just friends.¡± ¡°Wait. What? Since when? Why haven¡¯t you told me?¡± She blinked in disbelief. ¡°Oh, my God, Mom. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She hugged her mother. ¡°You should have told me.¡± ¡°Dean and I have been separated for six months, but it¡¯s mutual. No bad blood. We¡¯re friends, really good friends.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, Dei,¡± her ex said. It was sincere enough. ¡°Oh, no. We¡¯re good.¡± She swatted her hand. ¡°Do you know anything about this?¡± Estelle held my wrist. ¡°No, baby. I am as surprised as you.¡± ¡°You were away at that time, and you had a lot on your tes. My marriage is not your problem, honey. And really, Dean and I are still good friends.¡± She looked at Moses. ¡°Don¡¯t get any idea. Moses is just a friend.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Estelle looked unconvinced, but she let it go for now. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you lucky?¡± Deirdre saw the ring on Estelle¡¯s finger. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Her words were intended for me. I chuckled. I couldn¡¯t look away from that teardrop diamond ring when shopping. Fortunately enough, Estelle loved it. ¡°We want to get married in Italy,¡± Estelle announced. ¡°Italy. Why Italy?¡± ¡°We met there. And I think it would be a good venue-a beach wedding with just family. I don¡¯t want people taking pictures of my wedding day and posting them online. And I wanna get married as soon as possible.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re getting married while you¡¯re pregnant?¡± her mother asked. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s also good memorabilia. One day, my baby will see the wedding picture while I was still pregnant with her, and I¡¯m going to tell her it was our second wedding with her daddy, and she was the baby in my tummy.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you and Gabe have decided.¡± ¡°Are you okay with that, Mom?¡± Deirdre became teary-eyed, trying to blink it off. ¡°Of course. Well, sorry for being so emotional. Imagine, this year, a lot of things have happened, but there are also blessings. I found a handsome and amazing son-inw. I¡¯m going to be a grandmother, did you hear that, Gustav? We¡¯re going to be grandparents. And now our daughter is getting married again to the same man. Isn¡¯t it wonderful?¡± ¡°It is, Dei.¡± A small smile appeared on Gustav¡¯s lips. ¡°You promise me you will walk your daughter down the aisle.¡± I watched Estelle¡¯s reaction because she didn¡¯t mention anything about it. She smiled as she looked at both her parents. So it was okay with her then.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°You¡¯ve been awfully silent, boss.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just reminded of my son¡¯s wedding. I guess wedding always brings back good memories to me.¡± ¡°You should go out and find a woman, women, or man. I don¡¯t judge, Moses.¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Estelle¡¯s cheek reddened. She was clearly embarrassed. ¡°What? I just want to see everyone happy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very enthusiastic today,¡± Estelle added. ¡°I¡¯m sure Striker won¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Mom, please?¡± She averted her gaze to Moses. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Moses, if my mom makes you ufortable.¡± Moses smiled. ¡°Nothing makes me ufortable, honey, as long as my friends and family are good. I¡¯m good.¡± Then he turned to Gustav. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here. Join me next Wednesday, will you? I¡¯ll send a car to pick you up at your house. We¡¯ll have dinner with the ministers.¡± ¡°I would love to. Thank you.¡± Moses stood up. ¡°I have a meeting in two hours. Son, may I have a word?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I stood up and walked with him outside the coffee shop. Once we were in front of his vehicle, I asked, ¡°What is it, boss?¡± ¡°Tyrion Weston is not in great shape. Ilya¡¯s men got into him. I think the agency set Weston up. The exchange didn¡¯t happen. Instead, a rival mafia arrived, and Weston was caught up in the middle of the shooting. He was shot and brought to a secure location. I¡¯m not sure he¡¯s going to make it. Did Gustav say anything to you?¡± Well, I wouldn¡¯t say he deserved it. ¡°No. We only talked about weddings. I¡¯d ask Estelle if he said something. Should I ask him?¡± ¡°No. Weston is not your problem anymore. I think he had iting. Stay out of it, Gabe. I mean it, but be careful.¡± ¡°Of course. Thanks for letting me know.¡± I wanted to ask him something, but I held it. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked before getting into his car. ¡°It¡¯s not my business, but is something going on between you and Deirdre?¡± He smiled. ¡°You will know if there is. Deirdre is a wonderful woman, but she said we¡¯re just friends. I have to go.¡± ¡°Take care, boss.¡± When I came back inside, my wife and her father were ready to leave. Lynx went to the cashier to pay our bills. ¡°I¡¯d like to stay with Dad for a while. Is that okay?¡± I snaked my hand on her waist and kissed the side of her head. ¡°You don¡¯t need my permission. Stay as long as you want.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to your father for a minute.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± I gestured for him to go out first before I followed. I didn¡¯t know how to tell him. Tyrion was his friend or at least his business partner. Estelle entered the car while Gustav and I went for a walk. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No. I just wanna tell you that Tyrion was in bad shape.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± He stopped walking. Judging by his reaction, he didn¡¯t have any clue. ¡°He was selling firearms to the mafia. He was shot.¡± ¡°The Vasilyev.¡± ¡°You heard about them.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not involved. I swear.¡± ¡°The rival mafia arrived. That¡¯s how he got shot.¡± ¡°I guess he had iting. I don¡¯t want to say I¡¯m happy but relieved.¡± He sighed. ¡°After Estelle signed the contract, Tyrion wanted to take control of Star. I didn¡¯t know what he did behind closed doors until my daughter ran away. I asked a favor once, and I couldn¡¯t find a way out.¡± ¡°He threatened you.¡± ¡°Something like that. ckmail, coerced, but he found out about your rtionship with my daughter, Cade, and Braddson. So he knew his limits. He gave me that picture of Jasper and the mafia to use against you.¡± ¡°Do you think he wille after you?¡± ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You should be very careful. Even if Tyrion died, his son would take over the business. You should double for security.¡± ¡°yton is useless. No one will follow him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so confident about it. Revenge can make people change, redirect determination, and do something unexpected. Do you know your right hand-¡± ¡°Murphy. That son of bitch betrayed me. I didn¡¯t know what he did, and he¡¯d been working with Tyrion all this time.¡± ¡°So, he was telling the truth then. He said you¡¯re not involved. He wanted to cut a deal with the DEA so that he may have said something about you.¡± ¡°Am I in trouble?¡± Gustav looked worried. I suddenly remember telling him I might save his life one day. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but I can gather intel. If you want.¡± ¡°That would be helpful. Thank you.¡± ¡°Anyway, if you want the share back. I will sell it back to you at the same stock price. Just let me know. I¡¯ll do the paperwork.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I saw how Estelle was happy to see you. Just don¡¯t break her heart again, Gustav. I love my wife. She¡¯s my life and my kid. I don¡¯t want to see her getting hurt by the people she trusts. If you are sincere in returning to her life as her father, I¡¯ll give you a chance.¡± ¡°So she said. You pushed her to see me.¡± ¡°Something about what Moses told me. He didn¡¯t want to give me your location, but I could be persuasive. He said no matter what happened between you and Estelle. You¡¯re still her father. And he always never takes chances for granted. That¡¯s what happened to him and Cade. I¡¯m giving you the same chance, but I don¡¯t wanna see my wife cry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve learned so much in thest few months. Estelle is my blood, but I¡¯ve hurt her. I became greedy, and I was manipted. But I won¡¯t let her down again. You have my word.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough. She dropped theint against you. Did she mention that?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Estelle loves you with all your faults.¡± I extended my hand. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°No. Thank you, Gabe.¡± He gripped my hand tightly. ¡°You make my daughter happy. That¡¯s what every father would wish for his daughter.¡± We went back to the waiting car. Estelle opened the window and smiled as soon as she saw us. ¡°What took you both so long?¡± I leaned down. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± She kissed my lips softly and quickly. ¡°I love you.¡± Chapter 102 ESTELLE My father brought me to his house outside London. Then we decided to cook dinner. Well, I just sat pretty while Dad did most of the cooking. ¡°This is so good, Dad. How did you learn to cook?¡± He had a chef at home, and I didn¡¯t know he was interested in cooking. His chicken parmigiana with pasta was so good. ¡°When I¡¯m bored, I cook something, but not as good as Jaymes, I guess. Your husband also knows his way around the kitchen. He cooks, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Gabriel is good, but Pops is the best. Sorry, Dad.¡± ¡°You call your father-inw Pops?¡± he asked amusedly. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s good with me, Dad. I hope you can meet him soon, maybe exchange recipes.¡± Dad chuckled as he joined me at the table. ¡°I couldn¡¯tpete with Jaymes. I went to his restaurant once. Themb was ready good.¡± ¡°I want you to be okay with Mom, Dad.¡± ¡°We¡¯re good, honey. I called her once in a while and asked about you.¡± I stopped and stared at him. ¡°Mom didn¡¯t tell me that.¡± ¡°I told her not to tell you. You¡¯re mad at me. I didn¡¯t want to make you madder. I¡¯m sorry for what I did, honey.¡± ¡°All forgiven, Dad.¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m happy we¡¯re good. I feel like tons of weight lifted off my shoulder and chest. I don¡¯t want to go back to that ce where you and I were constantly fighting over running a business. How¡¯s CTEC anyway?¡± ¡°Business is good. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I need to raise my child in a good environment, and she¡¯s surrounded by the people we love.¡± ¡°Well, not so fast, babe.¡± I recognized that voice. I yelped. I almost fell off the chair. My heart was in my throat as I stood up quickly, and the chair stumbled down. Dad stood up slowly with his hands raised as if surrendering. ¡°Honey, stay. I got this.¡± With his shaky voice and paler face, I knew what exactly was going on. With my knees wobbling, I turned around, making me gulp hard. He had a gun pointing at me and my father. ¡°Sorry for interrupting this lovely reunion, babe.¡± He looked like he¡¯d been crying. His eyes were red, and he had messy hair. His clothes were crumpled, and by his look right now, he hadn¡¯t been sleeping for days. His cocky face was gone, and nothing but anger, hatred, and rage filling in her eyes. ¡°What are you doing here, yton?¡± ¡°Wow. Aren¡¯t you full of surprises, babe?¡± He waved his gun toward my body, to my abdomen, making me gasp and flinch. I raised my hands, and there was no point in protecting my body and my baby if the bullets could prate a human body if he began shooting at us. ¡°Why are you here, yton?¡± Dad walked slowly and carefully to my side and tried to shield me. ¡°Stay behind me, honey.¡± ¡°You killed my dad.¡±What? Tyrion is dead? ¡°What? I have no idea. Tyrion is dead? How?¡± Dad was also shocked. ¡°Don¡¯t act surprised and pretend you don¡¯t know. You¡¯re the one who tipped those assholes who shot Dad. Now I¡¯m going to kill you and your daughter. Payback is a bitch, isn¡¯t it?¡± He pointed straight at my father. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, yton.¡± ¡°Oh, so you talk now, huh? Let me guess. You fucked someone while you were still under that agreement. Judging your abdomen. Don¡¯t tell me that mercenary knocked you up?¡± He snorted. ¡°Bitch.¡± I could say the same thing, but I couldn¡¯t provoke him. Every time he pointed the gun in my direction, I flinched. I had been scared before when my husband went missing, and those delinquents chased my car, and now a gun was pointed at me. I didn¡¯t know if I could sleep at night without being visited by nightmares. This was when I wished I had a gun or knew how to fight because I couldn¡¯t just depend on my safety with my bodyguard.Oh, no. Where¡¯s Qamar? And my bag was in the living room and my phone and my panic button inside. ¡°You¡¯re probably wondering where your bodyguard is. Well, I feel sorry for him. He¡¯s dead.¡± But I didn¡¯t hear a gunshot. I gulped hard. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t wanna know, Estelle. I didn¡¯t know you had that in you. You let someone fuck you. You¡¯re a bitch, after all.¡± ¡°Watch your tone, yton.¡± ¡°Or what, loser? And I¡¯m the one who has a gun pointing at you and your daughter. What are you gonna do, huh? Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know what you did?¡± ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about, yton. Let my daughter go. She has nothing to do with your father¡¯s death.¡± ¡°Oh, she has everything to do with it. Since she signed that agreement, she became a part of this. You piece of shit betrayed my father. He trusted you.¡± ¡°He never trusted me. He used me, too, yton.¡± ¡°Dad, please?¡± I said in a low voice. ¡°I can give you money. Just let us go.¡± He turned to me. ¡°Well, she¡¯s not just a pretty face after all.¡± ¡°I want fifty million dors transferred to my ount. Now.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°That¡¯s not possible. You know that. I can¡¯t transfer that big amount online without the bank questioning the transaction. They will hold it. How about five million now? Let us go. Then I will transfer the rest when I get to the bank.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± He took steps in my direction but never put the gun down, and his finger was permanently curled around the trigger. I gulped. ¡°Please, yton. Let my daughter go.¡± Dad came forward, protecting me from him. ¡°You, old man, took everything from me. Now it¡¯s the time you will watch your daughter die. This time, you will feel how I felt when Dad died and left me nothing.¡± I was scared that he might identally pull the trigger out of anger. One moment Dad was in front of me. The next second, he was on the floor. yton pushed and kicked him, and I watched him whine in pain as he held his abdomen, and I couldn¡¯t do anything to help. ¡°If your dad died, it¡¯s all your fault, Estelle.¡± yton then grabbed my arm so hard I thought it broke my bone. I almost tripped off andnded on my abdomen if his grip wasn¡¯t tight enough. Despite Dad groaning in pain, he tried to get up. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this!¡± It was toote. My plead had no effect. A single shot was fired. My voice muted. All I could hear was the gunfire echoing in the entire house. Dad¡¯s body fell to the floor, unmoving. ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Oops.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± I tried jerking off his grip to rush to my father, but it was useless. Blood flowed on the floor, breaking my heart. Crying wouldn¡¯t help my situation. I couldn¡¯t help my father, but that was the only thing I could do. Tears streamed down my face as I watched him lying in the pool of his own blood. ¡°Start sending money, or you¡¯re next, bitch.¡± ¡°Let me go, please,¡± I begged him. ¡°I will give you the money. Just let me be with Dad. Please? I will give you all my money. Have some mercy.¡± ¡°Did he have mercy when he sent my father to his death?¡± ¡°Dad didn¡¯t do that. He couldn¡¯t do that. He didn¡¯t know anything.¡± ¡°Liar,¡± he yelled at me. His eyes filled with anger and revenge. I fell to my knees when he pointed the gun at my head. My body shook uncontrobly. I was so terrified. My heart stopped beating. My lungs were about to explode as I held my breath for what woulde. I closed my eyes even if I hadn¡¯t epted my fate because I didn¡¯t want to die today. I didn¡¯t wish to die tomorrow. I still wanted to see my child grow. I still wanted to be with my husband as we grow old together. ¡°Put your gun down, Weston.¡± A gasp escaped my lips. That voice, but I was too scared to open my eyes that it might be just my mind ying tricks on me because I badly wanted my husband right now. ¡°I¡¯m not going to repeat myself twice. Put your gun down.¡± My eyes flew wide and met my husband¡¯s rage-fueled eyes filled with pain at the same time. ¡°Gabriel.¡± My voice was even strange to my own ears, but I was somehow relieved. ¡°I will kill your girl. You¡¯re the guy who knocked her up, right? Linden, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my girl. Weston. She¡¯s my wife. And you are pointing a gun at my pregnant wife.¡± His jaw ticked. His eyes narrowed. Each word was filled with fire and rage. ¡°Put your gun, or I will shoot her.¡± In yton¡¯s attempt to threaten me, Linden didn¡¯t even budge. He didn¡¯t even blink. He showed no emotion at him, reminding me of the dark side of Linden I once faced ¨C he remained in his position, gripping his gun confidently because he did that every day. Linden could have done it sessfully alone without effort in a situation like this. He was just mad because a madman pointed a gun at his wife. ¡°Are you okay, baby?¡± Linden didn¡¯t even flinch at his threat. He confidently looked down at me, but still, there was a lot of pain deep in those eyes when our gazes locked. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be okay.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± I could barely nod. He focused back at yton. ¡°Do you really think I came alone? Your men down are dead. You¡¯re alone now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°If you wanna live, I suggest you put the gun down slowly. I could shoot you right now, and you don¡¯t even notice, but I have a man, a woman who has your head. Your choice, yton. Let my wife go.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Well, you made the wrong choice.¡± I gasped, shaking uncontrobly. My eyes went wide. Thest thing I heard was yton falling on the floor in a thud. ¡°Hey, baby. Look at me.¡± Linden cupped my head and stared at me as I stared back. ¡°Estelle, breathe, baby. It¡¯s over now. Breathe.¡± ¡°Gab-¡° Chapter 103 LINDEN Watching the love of my life with a gun pointed at her head, I just died a thousand times and came back and watched that scenario over and over again. I couldn¡¯t get rid of the image of her crying on her knees as she waited for the moment to die. I wanted to kill yton Weston, but dying would be merciful for him. I wanted him to suffer the rest of his remaining worthless life. I didn¡¯t know if I deserved to be with Estelle. I put her in so much more danger than I could ever imagine. If she hadn¡¯t met me, she wouldn¡¯t have gone through those nightmares. All this happened because of me. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Moses gripped my shoulder. Just right after dinner with a British billionaire, he called me to say Gustav might be in danger. If I could just be five secondste, I would have found my wife lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. ¡°I need some air.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fool me. Stay put, and stop ming yourself. I can read what¡¯s on your mind right now and how you fist your hands. You¡¯re seeking vengeance. You want blood in your hands so bad it drives you insane, and that won¡¯t happen while you¡¯re on my watch, son. Take a deep breath and sit down.¡± I blinked off and sat back on the bench. ¡°You need to get in that room and stay by her side,¡± he added. ¡°She will wake up soon. You¡¯re the first person she wants to see when she wakes up. And you¡¯ll be there to exin everything. I know this is hard for you, but she needs you now more than ever.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Man up, Gabriel. Either you get in her room, or I will drag you myself and put you next to her. Your choice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m bad for her. She¡¯d been on the brink of death twice, and it¡¯s all because of me.¡± I looked down at my hand and toyed with my wedding ring. ¡°I call it bullshit. She sneaked out alone-¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Because she¡¯d mad at me. I pushed myself to her when she wasn¡¯t ready. She wanted to be alone because I was there in her house.¡± ¡°It happened. An ident is inevitable. Estelle was just in the wrong ce at the wrong time. So, as what happened tonight. And that was not your fault. She wanted to spend time with her father. It¡¯s Weston¡¯s fault. He¡¯s insane. Get in that room before I tie you to bed.¡± I drew a deep breath and forced myself to stand. My walk took time to reach the door. I wanted to flee and nevere back so that my wife and child would live in peace and harmony, but at the same time, I couldn¡¯t disappoint her, and I would be just like my mother, giving up my child if I cowardly did the same thing. I pushed the door open with a bit of strength left in my body. At the same time, my wife stirred in bed. I was fast enough to hold her hand before her eyes cracked open. ¡°Hey, my love.¡± ¡°Gabriel.¡± There was still a shock and pain in her puffy eyes. I wished she wouldn¡¯t remember what happened, but the pain was deep, and tears streamed down her face. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°He¡¯s okay.¡± I managed to put a slight smile on my lips ¡°What? Really?¡± Her eyes grew bigger. The pain vanished, reced with hope, as she shed her smile. ¡°Oh, my God. He¡¯s okay. Where is he? I wanna see him.¡± ¡°First, calm down. You¡¯re going to pass out again.¡± ¡°Oh, my God. Is our baby okay?¡± She put her hand on her tummy. ¡°Yeah.¡± I nodded as I picked up the image from my jacket pocket. ¡°Here.¡± Despite tears rolling down her cheeks, she broke into a wide smile. ¡°I thought I was going to die.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, baby. I wish I were there with you.¡± She threw herself into me, and I caught her and hugged her tight. I kissed her head, hoping she would stay in a ce protected. But I knew that was not living, and she had a lot of things she wanted to do in her life. She had a lot of things to offer and wanted to raise our child as normally as possible. ¡°Thank you, Gabriel.¡± I pulled away, staring at those eyes. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For being there to save us.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be in that situation if not for me. Your father wouldn¡¯t be in the ICU right now if I didn¡¯t meet you.¡± Anger quickly shed in her eyes. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? What happened back there has nothing to do with you? Why do you always me yourself for something you didn¡¯t do and out of your control? Or you¡¯d rather choose that I should marry that asshole?¡± I looked down at her hand, took it, and kissed it. ¡°I¡¯m still one of the reasons why he came after you and your father.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. yton thought Dad tipped off those bastards that shot his father. Did you?¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t even know Weston got shot in the shootout if Moses didn¡¯t tell me this morning.¡± ¡°So you knew.¡± ¡°Yeah. Your father knew. I told him.¡± ¡°Oh, my God. Where¡¯s Qamar? Is he still alive? That dick said he killed him.¡± ¡°Q is alive. That dick stabbed him, but he missed vital organs. He¡¯s recovering.¡± ¡°Gabriel, I wanna see my father, please?¡± How could I resist when she looked at me with those sad eyes? ¡°You will, but first, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll live. I¡¯d never felt so relieved to hear your voice and see you standing there. I thought I wouldn¡¯t see the light of day. I thought of you and our baby. Maybe that¡¯s what people feel when they know they¡¯ll die. I want you to teach me how to shoot.¡± I was taken aback that she suddenly suggested holding a gun when she was terrified of it. ¡°To shoot?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to learn how to use a gun and protect myself. I can¡¯t depend on my details. I wanna learn, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Baby, that¡¯s not a good idea. First, you¡¯re pregnant-¡± ¡°My baby is protected with my uterus and fluids. She can¡¯t be harmed. I want to learn, Gabriel. Either you teach me, or I will find someone who will.¡± ¡°After you give birth. Not in your situation. And she¡¯s also my baby.¡± ¡°When I get home, I will see you at Osmium or find a shooting range.¡± Fuck. I breathed through my nose, and she saw it. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look.¡± She pulled off everything attached to her. ¡°Let¡¯s go see my father and Qamar.¡± ¡°Baby. Estelle.¡± ¡°Wait. How did you know we were in trouble?¡± ¡°Moses.¡± ¡°Who shot yton? Is he dead?¡± ¡°Hope.¡± ¡°Hope, your assistant Hope?¡± she asked in shock. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s a sniper.¡± ¡°Wow. She¡¯s hot and badass.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°She¡¯s hot, huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m straight, Gabriel. I know you do.¡± She cupped my head and kissed me hard, which took my breath away. ¡°You¡¯re my hero.¡± My heart melted. My emotions were everywhere. I wanted to cry, but I held it back. ¡°Let me take a wheelchair so that you can see your father.¡± ¡°Thank you, husband.¡± I ignored that my face had just burned. When I left the room, Lynx met me in the hallway. ¡°Mr. Braddson left. I added two more men. I could add more if you want. Our guys are just a call away.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s enough. I want protection for Gustav. Assign three best men from our HQ here.¡± ¡°Got it, boss.¡± ¡°I have to pick a wheelchair. My wife is awake and wants to see her father.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I went inside, and she changed from the hospital gown to her clothes. ¡°Do you realize you¡¯re not discharged?¡± ¡°Then talk to the doctor and tell them I¡¯m good to go.¡± ¡°Baby, you¡¯re only going to see your father.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°No, my love. Your iron is below normal.¡± ¡°Wait. What?¡± She even looked surprised. ¡°I took my supplements regrly. What did the doctor said?¡± ¡°You need rest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°Baby, you have to believe me.¡± I took the wheelchair from Lynx. ¡°We¡¯ll see your dad, and you¡¯ll return to bed. When the doctor clears you to go home, then we will.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go back home until Dad can get out of the hospital.¡± She willingly sat in the wheelchair. ¡°Your mom. I haven¡¯t informed her what happened. So she doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call her.¡± Her father¡¯s ICU room was just a floor to hers. Gustav was lucky the bullet missed his subvian artery, but he still lost a lot of blood. Thankfully, his house wasn¡¯t far from the hospital. They did the surgery quickly, which saved his life from bleeding. Yue took charge of Gustav¡¯s protection. As soon as she saw Gustav on the bed, sleeping, Estelle asked, ¡°How long have I been out?¡± ¡°Not long.¡± ¡°But my father has undergone surgery?¡± ¡°Yes. The bullet went through and through, just an inch below his artery.¡± She gasped. ¡°Oh, my God. Where¡¯s that asshole now?¡± ¡°Brought to another hospital. Hope didn¡¯t want to kill him, but he probably had a broken bone. He¡¯s in police custody. He can¡¯t go anywhere.¡± I brought her to Gustav. ¡°I¡¯ll be outside.¡± ¡°The cops want to take your wife¡¯s statement.¡± Lynx came. ¡°And Mr. dwyn once he wakes up.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I turned to my wife. ¡°I thought you wanna stay with your Dad.¡± ¡°I want to add security for him.¡± ¡°I already did.¡± ¡°Then where are they?¡± ¡°In the briefing right now, Mrs. L. Yue was here before I came.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t notice him. Okay then.¡± ¡°And you will have Hunter and Q, but in the meantime, while Q is recovering, Yue and Hunter will be your protective details. No more sneaking out, Estelle.¡± ¡°Quinn is back?¡± Her eyes widened in excitement. ¡°Miss me?¡± Quinn just walked in our direction. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± She might have forgotten she was pregnant. She ran towards Quinn and hugged him. ¡°I¡¯m so d to see you.¡± ¡°Easy there, preggy.¡± Quinnughed, hugging my wife back. ¡°You don¡¯t get jealous?¡± I looked at Lynx and shook my head. ¡°At first, yeah. He has feelings for my wife, but they¡¯re more like best friends now. And he will do everything to protect her.¡± ¡°Gabriel, I wanna see Qamar.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Sit on the wheelchair.¡± ¡°I can walk.¡± When I didn¡¯t talk, she rolled her eyes, making Lynxugh. I watched them leave for the next elevator until they disappeared. ¡°Make sure yton cannot escape.¡± Chapter 104 ESTELLE Since Dad¡¯s release from the hospital, I hadn¡¯t gone home. I wanted to make sure my iron had improved before I went home. Dr. Chesca endorsed me to a good doctor here in London. On the other hand, Dad was recovering very well, and the local police had our statements. Linden didn¡¯t take our safety for granted. I felt like I woke up surrounded by his squad. He also hired his men from HQ in London to keep us under close watch. Micah followed me here. Wi took a chance to visit us while she was here in the U. K. for an art exhibit. Sometimes, it was hard to shake off what happened in Dad¡¯s house dining room, but I tried not to let that terrible experience shake me. The backyard had the bestwn, though. It was a good space for an English tea time. ¡°What do you think they are talking about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Business, stock market, cryptocurrencies?¡± I looked at Wi and then to the other table where Dad, Moses, Tate, Linden, and Striker seemingly conversed earnestly. ¡°Can you read lips?¡± Wi asked Micah. ¡°Not in my job description, but I try.¡± She looked intensely at Tate since we could only see the backside of Moses and Striker while Dad was on their left. ¡°Pussy?¡± ¡°What?¡± Shocked, Mom, Wi, and I asked in unison. ¡°Well, I am not sure.¡± ¡°Why would they talk about pussies?¡± Mom asked, amused. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mrs. Moore.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re terrible at reading lips, Micah.¡± Wi tried hard not to burst outughing. ¡°I think they¡¯re talking about money.¡± ¡°Well, look at him. When he smiles, he lights up in the dark.¡± I looked at Mom, then followed where she was looking, at my husband. ¡°You didn¡¯t just say that with his sister sitting next to you.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with a mother-inw appreciating her daughter¡¯s husband? I think it¡¯s a rare gem.¡± ¡°And I agree, Mr. Linden is actually an American version of Henry Cavill. If he¡¯s gay, he is Ricky Martin and David Corensweet at his younger age,¡± Micah said, making me shake my head. ¡°Look at that jawline, honey.¡± ¡°Are you two done?¡± My jaw dropped as I stared at Mom while Wi shook as sheughed silently. ¡°Look at him, Estelle.¡± Micah wasn¡¯t nearly done. She pointed her lips at Linden, who didn¡¯t have any clue we were talking about him. ¡°Those biceps. His beard adds the gritty, dirty Superman hot vibe. Right, Mrs. Moore?¡± ¡°Yeah. Those eyes. I hope my granddaughter gets his eyes.¡± ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong with my eyes?¡± ¡°And the height.¡± Mom ignored me. ¡°My niece will still be pretty if she gets your looks, Estelle.¡± ¡°Well, thank you very much, Wi. At least you appreciate my beauty.¡± ¡°Does he work out a lot?¡± Micah followed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you both?¡± My brows furrowed at them, but they didn¡¯t seem to care. I thought they were just messing with me. ¡°I¡¯m here pretending I didn¡¯t hear these two. I mean, you two adults admiring my brother sounds amusing and silly at the same time,¡± Wi said. ¡°Look, honey.¡± Mom forced me to look at my husband. I rolled my eyes before I turned to look at him. He was smiling at something Moses said. His eyes, though, twinkled. He did not justugh. He also looked happy. And yeah, Mom was right. His jawline was prominent, adding beauty to him. I knew Linden was handsome and had beautiful eyes. Those were the first things I noticed in him, and he just had that rugged and rough around-the-edge look, and for me, he was perfect with his imperfection. I didn¡¯t know I was smiling the whole time until he just caught me ogling at him. Linden smiled back and winked at me, making my face heat in embarrassment. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Micah gushed. ¡°Did you just blush? You still blushed?¡± She held Mom¡¯s arm with wide eyes. ¡°Mrs. Moore, are you seeing this? They¡¯re already married, and she still blushes? How cute is that?¡± ¡°My daughter is in love. She never felt this way before.¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± Micah seconded. ¡°My brother is madly in love with her too. That¡¯s why they¡¯re perfect for each other.¡± ¡°Does a couple still have sex even if the woman is pregnant?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Mom turned to Micah. ¡°Of course, pregnant women are horniest when they¡¯re pregnant.¡± ¡°Mom, stop it.¡± I widened my eyes at her. Again, my opinion didn¡¯t matter. I knew what she was doing. She wasn¡¯t trying to embarrass and make fun of me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I mean, the baby is safe, duh.¡± Wi sipped her tea. ¡°I saw a meme about, you know,¡± Micah began with a joke. ¡°So I was wondering if getting pregnant while pregnant is possible.¡± ¡°So what is it like? I will have two babies in my uterus, one with five months, and the other is still a zygote?¡± ¡°Wow. She knows zygote.¡± Micah burst intoughter. ¡°I have biology sses,¡± I tried depending on myself, but they justughed. ¡°Okay, tell me, how many nerve endings are in a human penis?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. How many, Wi?¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh when suddenly, our topic went to the penis. I hoped Linden couldn¡¯t read our lips because I would be mortified. Our voices echoed throughout the entire ce. ¡°Oh, my God. Is it a hundred? A thousand?¡± Micah¡¯s face was red. Mom had teary eyes, while Wi had to stand up and walk. ¡°If you don¡¯t stop, I¡¯ll pee on the chair.¡± Iughed so hard I had to press my thighs and hold my abdomen. ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s sensitive?¡± Wi came back, still trying to hold herugh, but she struggled to put it together when anotherugh from Micah and my mom erupted. We suddenly caught the other table¡¯s attention. ¡°Girls, we¡¯re in trouble.¡± Iposed myself in my seat when all eyes were on us, including the guys on duty. ¡°You girls are having fun.¡± I was surprised to see Linden was already standing before me. ¡°Care to share with me?¡± My eyes widened. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°What did you talk about over there?¡± ¡°Boring stuff.¡± He leaned down to kiss me on my forehead. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two adorable?¡± It was Mom. ¡°Deirdre, she wouldn¡¯t tell me what made you girlsugh.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re talking about how many nerve endings you guys have down there.¡± ¡°Mom?¡± My face burned. ¡°Oh. I see.¡± Linden looked at my mother first before he turned to me. His eyes glinted. ¡°That¡¯s your assignment for tonight, baby.¡± ¡°Can I ask you, Mr. Linden?¡± It was Micah. ¡°No,¡± Wi and I replied in unison, causing Linden¡¯s brows to meet. ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°Do you guys feel weird when someone discusses female anatomy?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so. Why did you ask?¡± Before anyone could answer, he chuckled, ¡°You girls were talking about male anatomy all this time of the day?¡± ¡°No, honey. We were only talking about you. Your wife apparently disagreed with me and Micah that you are handsome.¡± Linden faked his sad face. ¡°I know, Deirdre. Your daughter is only after my body, not my face.¡± ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable.¡± I hit him on his arm. ¡°We actually hope your baby girl¡¯s face got it from you.¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯re terrible.¡± ¡°My wife is gorgeous. I mean, that¡¯s the first reason I declined the job offer aside from I don¡¯t do field work anymore because I knew I would be in trouble and failed my assignment.¡± ¡°Really?¡± My heart skipped a bit. ¡°Wait, baby. You didn¡¯t believe me when I said a million times that you¡¯re beautiful?¡± ¡°No. I thought guys would always say something girls wanted to hear to get into our pants.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not those guys. I say what¡¯s on my mind and in my heart.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a gentleman, Mr. Linden.¡± ¡°I¡¯m of many things, Micah, but a gentleman is not one of them.¡± Micah giggled. ¡°I think you drank a lot of English tea, Micah.¡± Lindenughed. ¡°Wait. You¡¯re single, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bi.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± I told her in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m straight, but I¡¯m enjoying watching romance movies, and you guys, I lost interest in finding romance for myself.¡± ¡°Wow. Sure, I¡¯ll find one for you,¡± Wi suggested. ¡°Baby-¡± My words were cut short when his phone rang. ¡°Hold on second, my love.¡± ¡°Young love.¡± Mom and Micah giggled again, making me frown. ¡°I think you two shouldn¡¯t meet often. There¡¯s something weird going on when you sit next to each other,¡± I told Mom and Micah. ¡°What? How did that happen?¡± Linden caught my attention. Everyone turned their attention to him. ¡°Fu- Thank you for letting me know.¡± He hung up the call. His eyebrows frowned as he looked at the screen on his phone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°yton is dead.¡± Chapter 105 LINDEN What the fuck? ¡°yton is dead.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to feel, relieved of rage. I wanted to deny that he was dead. He couldn¡¯t be- it was too merciful for that asshole. ¡°What? How?¡± My wife held my arm, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. ¡°He can¡¯t. He didn¡¯t deserve to die. He deserved to rot in jail for what he did to Dad, Qamar, and everyone he hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Estelle.¡± I looked at her. Sometimes, the image of her on her knees with a gun pointed at her still tormented me, and my anger toward yton settled in my chest permanently. ¡°Boss.¡± Lynx walked in my direction. ¡°You¡¯re informed?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Moses might have noticed the tension. ¡°I just received a call from the warden. Someone stabbed yton in the cell.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say he deserved it, but karma is real.¡± Qamar shrugged. He was still recovering from his stubbed wound. ¡°One bad guy gone isn¡¯t a problem. Considering what he did to your wife and Mr. dwyn, I think that¡¯s good. You deserve some peace.¡± Striker gripped my shoulder. ¡°And you don¡¯t have to look over your shoulder all the time.¡± I felt my wife¡¯s hand on my back as she said, ¡°I thought I lost Dad, and I thought I was going to die. If killing isn¡¯t a crime, I¡¯ll do it myself, but still, that was mercy. He deserved worse.¡± I wrapped my arms around her, hugged her tight, and pressed my lips against the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that, but who made the order.¡± ¡°It happens. When you¡¯re a bad guy, and someone hears you pointed a gun at an innocent pregnant woman, you could be the target of mass convicts. Trust me, brother,¡± Striker said. ¡°It¡¯s unsettling, but I have a bad feeling about this- this is personal. Someone did the job inside with an order from outside the prison.¡± ¡°We should be drinking Champagne. I know it¡¯s terrible to celebrate one¡¯s death, but he¡¯s not a good guy. We¡¯ll find out who did this, boss. Or do we?¡± Quinn said. ¡°What are you thinking, son?¡± I looked at Gustav. It was the first time he called me son. ¡°I¡¯m sure Weston has a lot of enemies, rivals, and those families of the people who died in the shootout. Can you think of anyone?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to take the fall knowing yton and his father are dead. They¡¯re greedy, maniptive, and monsters, but I have no idea who could order the kill.¡± ¡°You should stay out of this, Gustav.¡± Moses¡¯s words caught my attention. ¡°This is not your business anymore. Killing him might be a mercy after what he did to you, but it¡¯s over. Just leave this issue alone. I will let you know if I find something.¡± It was maybe hard to ept, but I had a family to protect. One dead yton was one less threat to my family and loved ones. ¡°He¡¯s right, sir.¡± I nodded. Before I could say something more, my phone rang again. I answered the call. ¡°Linden.¡± ¡°Am I speaking to the great Gabriel Linden?¡± That unfamiliar authoritarian voice made the hair on my nape stand. My heart thundered in my chest, and my hand around my wife¡¯s arm tightened. ¡°To whom am I speaking?¡± I shouldn¡¯t have asked. The ent gave it all away- a thick Russian ent. ¡°We haven¡¯t formally introduced Linden. Thest time you paid my country a visit, my men were chasing you. People feared me, but you are not one of them. You came to my country and killed my men to save one man. I¡¯d say that was admirable.¡± ¡°What do you hope to achieve, Vasilyev?¡± My chest rose and fell fast because I had a good idea why he suddenly reached out, and I shouldn¡¯t have asked him that question when I wasn¡¯t ready to hear his answer. Everyone around me stopped dead in their tracks. Eyes pinned at me, filled with horror and shock, including Moses. My wife tightened her arms around me, gripping my jacket. ¡°I met Mr. Braddson, a powerful man he is. I admit I was a little intimidated. I was hoping I would meet you in person, but I had a feeling you had no idea he was meeting me. I wanted to shake your hand. It was a buzzkill, really, that you were not with him.¡± ¡°Get to the point, Vasilyev.¡± ¡°I made a deal with Mr. Braddson. I wouldn¡¯t touch a few people around you, including Jakob Resnikov. He¡¯s Jasper Greer to you. I would have killed him, not for betraying me, but for killing my rtive, Yelena Ivanov.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t kill Yelena.¡± ¡°His father did, but they shared the same blood, and in my country, anyone who has run the same blood as Hanslo is my enemy, and anyone who uses his money to put food on their table. If I remember correctly, you were there when Yelena died. Your brothers Gunner and Ward died, yet you came all the way here to save the son of the man who ordered to kill your brothers.¡± I gulped as I remembered what happened that day. Even Cenric was still visited by that nightmare. ¡°Why are you calling me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t threaten woman or hurt woman for pleasure unless she hurts the people I care about, then I won¡¯t blink nor hesitate-¡± My jaw locked tight as I briefly closed my eyes. My teeth almost cracked, trying hard not to let him get on my nerves, but I failed. ¡°Are you threatening my family?¡± ¡°Oh, no.You got me all wrong. Someone came to you and med your father-inw, hurt your men, and almost killed your wife.¡± How could he possibly know this? But I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. yton probably talked to save his ass. ¡°You made the order.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing you a favor,¡± he confirmed. My knuckles turned white. ¡°So you want a fruit basket or something?¡± Everyone looked at me in confusion. Since this conversation was not on speaker, they were curious about what Ilya and I talked about. ¡°You, American, always expect something in return when you do them a favor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re merciless. I expect your service is not free.¡± ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t have to- what do you call it, sugarcoat? Yes, I killed people. I¡¯m a wanted man by righteous governments, but they are killers, too, mass murderers. Our only difference is that they run the government, they get to choose who gets killed, and who are the sacrificialmbs, and people should follow their rules, especially the poor. In contrast, I¡¯m not guided by theirws. I don¡¯t follow them. I am my ownw, my own code. You killed people, too, Linden, because you follow their orders.¡± ¡°What do you want? A que? A medal?¡± ¡°I wanna meet you face to face.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re interesting.¡± ¡°You wanna meet me because I am interesting?¡± My wife gasped. My gaze moved to Moses, Gustav, Striker, and everyone gathered before me. Lynx shook his head for me to say no to Ilya. ¡°I know you¡¯re in acquaintance with the mafia in Sicily. I have no quarrel with Siciliano.¡± ¡°Why should I meet you? Give me one good reason before I hang up the call right now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll die first before I let anything happen to you. You have my word. My deal with Mr. Braddson is not only liberating you from your enemy, from my enemy. You are also under my protection now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your protection. I¡¯m capable of doing it myself. I have resources-¡± ¡°Because you think Osmium and the Hover can protect you? Do you really believe that? How did Weston get to your father-inw¡¯s house?¡± ¡°Then why did you let it happen if I am under your protection?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve proven, haven¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing favors for you, Vasilyev.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking unless my family is in grave danger and your country, and there¡¯s no other way to protect them, but I will pay for your service.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your blood money.¡± ¡°Not by money. My life, Linden.¡± I swallowed hard and blinked. I had a feeling this was just a part of his borate n. There was something big behind his words. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°I want you to know that I won¡¯t harm any of your family. One day, you may need my help. Right now, you don¡¯t, but soon.¡± ¡°Did you order the kill?¡± I wanted to confirm it for the second time. ¡°Yes,¡± he answered without hesitation. ¡°I would do it again in a heartbeat.¡± And he didn¡¯t disappoint. Son of a bitch. When he confirmed it, I knew my family wouldn¡¯t be safe even with my men protecting them 24/7. If whoever he hired managed to kill yton in prison, he could easily order someone to kill Jasper, any member of my team, or, worse, my family.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°When?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call you. I have to arrange a flight.¡± ¡°Let me guess. I cannot choose the ce.¡± As soon as the call ended, Estelle forced me to face her. ¡°Gabriel, what are you doing?¡± I looked at her and kissed her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be fine.¡± Chapter 106 ESTELLE I thought my nightmare was over, but it seemed this was just the beginning- this was probably my life now, constantly worrying about my husband¡¯s well-being whenever he wasn¡¯t around. To be with a man whose words were his honor, I had learned to be patient and understanding. But I still couldn¡¯t ignore that he was putting his life on the line for me, his family, and the people he valued the most, including his men. Biting my lip, I closed my eyes as I felt the cold lips against my bare shoulder. Unable to help myself, I gave him ess. Maybe it was true. Pregnant women still enjoyed sex even if the abdomen coulde the way. His breathing brushed the shell of my ear, darting his tongue out, flicking my earlobe. A moan escaped from me, wanting more. My body shuddered as his hand went down, pulling the thin material down my knees and dragging it with his foot down my ankle. Now, I waspletely naked in his mercy. With a low rumble, he swore upon finding out I was soaking, ¡°Fuck.¡± He slid his finger inside me, thrusting in and out, his thumb rubbing circles against my clit. He gently bit my shoulder as he lifted my leg and ced it on top of his knee so that he could have ess from behind. He held my head with his free hand. His mouth imed mine. He kissed me devastatingly slowly, which swept away every thought in my head, and every worry in my chest before he parted my folds and thrust his stiff cock inside me. I felt full, stretched, and a little ufortable in this position. Then Linden deepened the kiss in a way that had my toe-curling, had my clit aching, keeping me asking for more. He thrust into me from behind, fingering my clit. It was too much, yet my body wanted more. I broke free from the kiss when my body couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± I pushed my ass back, meeting his thrust in the middle. He filled me, but I was greedy. I moved away from his arms. ¡°I want to be fucked on four.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± He sounded worried, but I was horny, and I wanted his cock inside me like a breath I took. ¡°Or I will fuck myself with a dildo.¡± The problem was I had never owned a dildo before. I positioned myself on four, lifted my ass, arching at him. My head pressed against the mattress. ¡°Fuck.¡± There was a satisfaction in his voice. When he pressed the head of his cock against my tiny hole, I pushed my ass up, but I was disappointed. ¡°Your ass is not ready.¡± ¡°Oh, God!¡± I hissed. My body shuddered. My skin burned. My face heated as I felt his tongue on the rim of my anus, flicking it around before heved my clit to my opening, dragging my asshole. The pleasure was different but deliciously dread as he wouldn¡¯t take me there. My mind wasn¡¯t ready. My body was. Breathing hard, I bit my bottom lip as I felt his bulbous head on my entrance. He glided it slow, inch by inch, until he was all in, buried deep. He then pulled out. The emptiness worsened the cool air fanning my wet core. As if adrenaline had loaded into him, he mmed his cock inside, making me yelp in surprise. With a deep groan, his cock pounded with my heartbeat- faster and deeper, it kicked and swelled inside me. ¡°I¡¯m close!¡± I cried out. He pounded me in bed and fucked me mercilessly, but that was what I wanted. I wanted to forget that he was walking into danger. But I loved him so much I wouldn¡¯t stop him. The slick feel of our flesh and emotional connection threw me over the edge. My pleasure went nuclear. I came. At the same time, he did. Still breathless, I blurted out, ¡°I think I need to have that maternity pillow.¡± ***N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Gabe, you don¡¯t have to do this. He didn¡¯t say he woulde after your family if you refused, did he?¡± Dad did try his best to convince Linden, but I knew my husband. Once he threw his words out, he would do it no matter the circumstances. ¡°I already gave my word, sir. I won¡¯t take it back, and I would disagree if I felt a threat in his voice.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time, Dad. He won¡¯t listen to anybody.¡± ¡°He¡¯s um- wait. Who is he again? This man you¡¯re meeting. Why do I feel that he¡¯s a big deal and dangerous.¡± I was impressed that Wi knew nothing about the men her brother encountered. ¡°He is,¡± I told her. ¡°Care to borate?¡± She looked at everyone who seemed to be waiting for her to explode in anger. ¡°You don¡¯t have to know, Wi. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.¡± ¡°No, brother. I¡¯m done being in the dark for so long. I want to know what my brother is doing from now on. What if something happens to you, huh? Will I just stand there and watch your wife suffer because you can¡¯t just resist the call of danger on you? I wanna know everything, or I swear to God you won¡¯t see me again, and I won¡¯t attend your wedding.¡± Wi was already on her feet, her arms folded over her chest as she red at Linden. ¡°Trust me. I¡¯d rather walk away from your life and won¡¯t see you again than watch everyone looking at each other discreetly-¡± ¡°Okay. Calm down, Wi,¡± Moses said. ¡°Who¡¯s that guy who called you? After the call, everyone was so tense. The room was filled with tension. I¡¯m not stupid. I just ignored the fact that my brothers¡¯ work saves a lot of people.¡± ¡°A Russian. I¡¯m only going to tell you what I can. The rest is ssified.¡± ¡°You sound like you¡¯re working in a secret government agency.¡± My brow raised while I turned to my husband. Holy shit! She didn¡¯t know what her brother had been doing all these years after The Firm rebranded to Osmium.Wow. ¡°Osmium has a partnership with Hover Defense and Security.¡± ¡°That sounds inclusive. Defense and Security? Forgive my ignorance. I don¡¯t google my brother or check hispany website. I don¡¯t want to overthink every time he¡¯s out there. But I thought you guys just guard rich kids and celebrities.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. I looked at my husband. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what you do for a living? Well, that¡¯s first.¡± Chapter 107 ESTELLE I blinked in disbelief. And Wi had never been tempted to check his brother online or go to Osmium to visit him. Either she trusted him so much, or she couldn¡¯t endure the agony of knowing how dangerous her brother was facing every day. I mean, gathering intelligence was a risky business. I¡¯d seen movies where people get killed and tortured for information. ¡°She does, but only about the firm, and she doesn¡¯t have to. I¡¯m just protecting her from the risk of knowing the nature of my work.¡± ¡°Now, I¡¯m more curious.¡± Wi frowned further. ¡°That¡¯s all you have to know.¡± ¡°No. I want to know everything.¡± ¡°Honey, Wi.¡± Moses drew a deep breath. ¡°The Hover Company has subsidiaries. Hover Defense and Hover Space and Security. They are thergest private gathering information agency. They gather intelligence and information around the globe. We detect threats, support decisions, and share with our government contract agencies. And these guys and among others who work at Osmium are highly trained as defense forces who support our military, intelligence service, and secret service.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± She snorted. ¡°My brother does that? I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°Right now, his focus is to run Osmium. He oversees the head of other Osmium headquarters and directs strategic operations.¡± Speechless, she looked at Moses and back to her brother before she gulped. ¡°It¡¯s not that I underestimate his intelligence, but Gabe does all that? I thought he just assigns his guys to guard and keep this safe, something like that.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you visited Osmium?¡± Dad asked. ¡°Because I wanna sleep at night. His job scared me when he went on tours. I didn¡¯t want to wake up and find his officer giving me bad news. And now I know the risks of his job. I think I¡¯m going to die young.¡± She looked at me. ¡°How do you do this? I mean, how do you stay calm?¡± ¡°Wi,¡± Linden called her. ¡°How could you keep us worried and you still you? Unbothered.¡± She was about to cry. Her chin trembled. ¡°Believe me. This is why I don¡¯t wanna tell you.¡± ¡°Does Dad know?¡± ¡°Yeah. Pops does because when I¡¯m still single, I have to put his name-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna know.¡± She raised a hand to stop her brother. ¡°I always thought of you, Pops, and everyone I cared about whenever I went out there. Right now, I don¡¯t do that anymore.¡± ¡°But the danger is always following you wherever you go. And here I thought Mr. dwyn was got mugged in his house. But it¡¯s more than that, isn¡¯t it?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°My former business partner is apparently dirtier than me. He was entangled with bad people. His son came to me wanted to get revenge and med me for his father¡¯s death.¡± ¡°He shot you?¡± Wi¡¯s eyes widened as she stared at Dad. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, who is this guy?¡± ¡°One of the most dangerous organized crimes in history,¡± I had to tell her. She had to know now. I didn¡¯t want her to get more confused. ¡°Baby,¡± Linden warned me. The line between her brows deepened as she turned to me. ¡°That guy who called Gabe?¡± ¡°Trust me. It makes her feel better to know the truth. It sets her free. That¡¯s what happened to me when I got to know the truth. And I picked up quickly.¡± I faced Wi again. ¡°Yeah. A future grand mafia don. He is groomed to take over the family business in Russia.¡± ¡°A mafia? Like-¡± ¡°The Godfather. I like that movie.¡± Lynx crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°The Irishman. Damn, De Niro is a god. John Wick is dope.¡± She chuckled. Thankfully, Mom and Micah weren¡¯t here anymore. I, Linden, Lynx, my father, and Moses were in Dad¡¯s office. ¡°You know I wannaugh like crazy, but judging by everyone¡¯s face, and Mr. dwyn and your boss are here and not joking around, I believe you, brother. How did you get entangled with this kind of people.¡± ¡°Not entangled. I don¡¯t have any association with them, but it¡¯s a long story, and I cannot disclose, but this is real. I¡¯m waiting for him to contact me.¡± ¡°You should take the whole team with you. If what I saw in the movies is true, they are raging homicidal maniacs and don¡¯t care about killing innocent people.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. This is not my first encounter with the mafia.¡± ¡°Wow. You¡¯re full of surprises, aren¡¯t you, Gabriel Rembrandt? One day, I will just be shocked when your enemyes into my gallery and points a gun in my head, asking for you.¡± She pointed her finger at her brother. ¡°And I know you assign someone to look after me. He¡¯s working across the street. He¡¯s cute, by the way.¡± ¡°Wi,¡± another warning came from him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s too cute for my taste. I¡¯ve learned my lesson. Does this guy look good, though? I mean, bad boys in the movies are always drop-dead gorgeous.¡± Linden locked his jaw and groaned. ¡°So, he is, then. Does he have an Instagram?¡± Iughed silently. ¡°What¡¯s so funny, Estelle?¡± He was pissed at his sister, and I also added to his trouble. ¡°Your overprotectiveness doesn¡¯t work on her anymore. Suck it up, Gabriel. But don¡¯t worry, Wi knows her boundary, and she¡¯s just messing with you.¡± ¡°I think I need a drink. Do you have something strong around here, Mr. dwyn?¡± ¡°Call me Gustav, Wi.¡± ¡°My brother is crazy.¡± She went to find something in the cab and helped herself with the whiskey. ¡°Easy.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t listen to you anymore, big brother. You keep telling me to take care every time we parted ways, and I didn¡¯t think you should tell that to yourself every time you leave your house.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sis.¡± ¡°No. You are not.¡± She began crying. ¡°You should stop what you¡¯re doing, but nothing and no one is capable of doing even your wife. Do you know you¡¯re also putting my niece in danger? She hasn¡¯t been born yet. Her life is already at risk.¡± I looked down because she was telling the truth. ¡°How many times Estelle¡¯s life has been in danger since you married her, huh?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t put my life at risk, no offense, Wi. The car chase was my fault. I went behind my details. Some delinquents recognized me and chased me. You can ask Qamar. This time, I was with Dad. Tyrion was Dad¡¯s former business partner. His son yton was supposed to be my husband. I was arranged to that fucker-¡± ¡°Language,¡± Dad reacted. ¡°Sorry, Dad.¡±I briefly looked at Dad before focusing on Wi on her second shot of whiskey. ¡°But your brother helped me out. I couldn¡¯t count how many times he saved my life, even if it wasn¡¯t his job, and he would do it all over again for all of us. He saved my father, London, Jasper, and I¡¯m sure his men can vouch for him.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t lose him, Estelle.¡± She was still crying, wiping her tears from her face. ¡°You won¡¯t. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not telling him to stop because this is what he does. He¡¯s good at it, and he¡¯s been doing this before I met him. He knows what he¡¯s doing, so I trust him, and I know he will always find a way to go home to me, his family, you, the people around him, and his men. You just to believe in your heart that he¡¯s safe wherever he goes.¡± Linden got up, went to his sister, and pulled her in his arms. ¡°I love you, sis. I promise I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°God, I hate you right now. My palm itches to p you.¡± ¡°You may have to ask consent from my wife if you want to do that.¡± ¡°Just shut up.¡± Wi scoffed as she hugged her brother back. Chapter 108 LINDEN My team justnded two hours ago from London. Estelle agreed to stay with her father, which made me happy with her decision. I only took a quick shower in the hotel and changed into a white shirt and dark blue pants before meeting Ilya. As fear thickened my throat, I forced a deep breath as I walked into the local bar in Austin. I entered alone, but I trusted my men to do their job. I roamed my eyes and quickly found a white male around my age with buzz-cut dark-brown hair sitting at the corner. He was confident and wasn¡¯t facing the door. Judging by his wide shoulders and broad back, it was indeed Ilya. The only image I had of him was from Gustav. I didn¡¯t want to know how he got into the country undetected. ¡°May I join you?¡± His gaze lifted from the half-full pint of beer on the table. He stood up and offered his hand. Ilya didn¡¯t smile, but his eyes expressed recognition and appreciation. I shook it firmly before I joined him on the table and motioned and gestured at the bartender for a local beer. ¡°How¡¯s your flight?¡± ¡°You walked in alone. I¡¯m impressed,¡± Those were his first words. ¡°I¡¯m in my country, but I trust you will honor your words.¡± ¡°I do.¡± My beer arrived. I took a sip and ced it down on the table. ¡°I¡¯m sure you did note alone. You came here for business or to get the job done?¡± ¡°I like you.¡± He looked outside the window for a while before he faced me again. Ilya had deep blue-green eyes, dark brown eyebrows, and a straight nose. His trimmed beard looked like he had it done by a professional. His jaw was strong and set as if always in deep thought. He was dressed to impress in his thousand-dor suit. I mean, nobody would suspect him of running an underground criminal organization in his getup. ¡°Is that supposed to make me feel better?¡± ¡°No. I was expressing my thoughts.¡± His ent was almost perfect American, except for the slip of the letter R.¡± ¡°Why do you wanna see me?¡± ¡°I expect a cavalry, military vehicles outside this establishment. But I know you didn¡¯te alone.¡± He stole a nce behind me, probably signaling his man. He picked up his beer and took a sip. ¡°The reason why I came here is because of the local beer.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t risk the people inside this bar, Ilya. And I know you won¡¯t take your chances of getting captured. I¡¯m not stupid. And I gave you my word to meet you and not to get everyone killed. So here I am.¡± ¡°I asked someone to kill yton because his father put my men in danger. He took death to himself.¡± ¡°So it was revenge then.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I heard what he did in London that motivated me to do it fast.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t hear a thank you for me. I hated that guy, but there¡¯s a reason why I didn¡¯t kill him. My man could easily take him down. How do you know all of this?¡± ¡°Easy with money, but don¡¯t take it negatively. I have men looking after all of you, just in case it missed your advanced UAV or your men.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I wanted to study him and how his mind worked. Ilya was like pieces of puzzle with the same color, hard to put together. ¡°Because you¡¯re not a bad guy. You risked your life and your marriage-¡± ¡°Stop.¡± My jaw ticked. My nose red. ¡°How the fuck did you know so much? No one should know about this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re missing the point.¡± ¡°Do I now?¡± I asked quickly because the next word that woulde from my mouth was I¡¯m leaving. ¡°I won¡¯t put any harm to your family. It¡¯s not that I feared Mr. Braddson¡¯s technology-¡± ¡°You wanna use me?¡± ¡°No. Maybe I need your expertise, but definitely not to take down people because that¡¯s your limit.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do shit until I know what you want, and how did you gather your intel?¡± ¡°Are you willing to trade?¡± So what now? Were we doing business? I didn¡¯t think so. With my clenched jaw, my gaze never left his eyes. ¡°You know if I don¡¯t value this rtionship, you already angered me. You Americans like using shit and fuck in every sentence.¡± ¡°Oh, did I offend you now? How about teaching me how to swear in Russian?¡± His face turned red. His gaze intensified. He didn¡¯t blink. His jaw ticked, and he hadn¡¯t spoken for about a minute, and the tension between us set a hard knot in my stomach. I pissed him off, but so did he. ¡°If you don¡¯t wanna continue this conversation, I¡¯m going. I have a lot of things to do, Ilya. Don¡¯t waste my time.¡± I was ready to flee until he talked. ¡°My father is in town.¡± If I heard correctly, he said his father was in town, and his tone and eyes softened. ¡°Isn¡¯t your father sick?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s dying. His treatment in Moscow didn¡¯t work, but I¡¯m not giving up.¡± ¡°What does he have?¡± ¡°Cancer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I blinked off my emotions. They were maybe criminals, but we were talking about lives and cancer. My father¡¯s face shed back in my head when I saw him yellowish in his bed after that ident. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s here for treatment?¡± ¡°Yeah. I risk bringing him here. We found a good doctor to do the transnt.¡± ¡°He has myeloma?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± But he didn¡¯t ask how did I know. ¡°How does this situation have to do with me?¡± ¡°He is treated in one of the hospitals in New York under a different name. I want to hire your men.¡± I scoffed inwardly. ¡°You want me to risk my men to watch your father? Where are yours?¡± ¡°I have a few here, but the threats are inevitable. Someone might recognize my father or my men, or the info will get leaked. And that information was crucial to my enemies, and they were willing to pay hefty to find my father. They wille after him. And I can¡¯t stay with him, or we both risk the organization.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the next in line.¡± ¡°Yes. And if I die, so do the Vasilyev family and the entire organization. As you already know, I¡¯m unmarried and have no heir. And Jakob chose to work in your government.¡± ¡°You have to leave him alone.¡± ¡°I did.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°And if I say no?¡± He shook his head, but he couldn¡¯t hide his disappointment. ¡°No hard feelings, as you all say. The deal remained the same. You have my word.¡± ¡°You should hire anotherpany.¡± I rose from the seat. ¡°I understand.¡± He offered his hand. ¡°Thank you for meeting me.¡± ¡°I wish your father a fast recovery.¡± I shook his hand before I walked away. ¡°Linden,¡± he called my name. I had no choice but to stop and turn around. ¡°Can you keep this between us?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± *** We flew to New York the same day and called Estelle as soon as Inded. ¡°Oh, my God. I¡¯m going to give birth in no time, Gabriel.¡± ¡°I miss you, too, baby.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Estelle had a way of making me feel better, even if it was a rough day. ¡°Can Ie home now?¡± ¡°Not quite. But soon. I promise.¡± ¡°Find. Dad wille with me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°How did the meeting go?¡± ¡°It was okay. We both left alive.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t joke about that, Gabriel.¡± I could feel her eyes narrowing at me. ¡°Calm down. Don¡¯t worry. I still get to change your diaper when you have incontinence.¡± ¡°Jeez. Or you get incontinence first. I¡¯m younger than you, dumbass.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Will you change my diaper, baby?¡± ¡°It depends if you were good to me for years.¡± ¡°I will never mistreat you. That¡¯s my promise, and I will honor it for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me cry.¡± She faked her sob. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Estelle.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t wait. And I want another baby. Babies.¡± ¡°Jeez. You¡¯re already nning when I still have one in my uterus?¡± ¡°Maybe twins next time.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Aw. That¡¯s cute. But we¡¯ll talk after my first experience. Anyway, I got to go. We just arrived at the hospital for Dad¡¯s follow-up.¡± ¡°Alright, my love. Take care. I love you.¡± Sax met me in the hallway. Judging by his looks, he had a lot of questions to ask. ¡°Save it. Come with me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the emergency?¡± He followed me to the Gunner room. ¡°I want someone to be found. vic, early 60s, came for treatment. Check every camera from international flights this week, every hospital log for stem cell transnt.¡± Everybody went to work on theirputer. ¡°Who¡¯s this guy?¡± ¡°Tell youter. Where¡¯s Kye?¡± ¡°In the briefing. Is it true?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± I entered the elevator and punched the second floor. Sax joined me. ¡°I haven¡¯t told you a shit.¡± ¡°About Gustav being shot, Tyrion and yton are dead, Q got stabbed, and my wife almost died? Yes. They¡¯re all true.¡± ¡°Jesus Christ. Is Estelle okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. I wanted to put thousands of bullet holes in yton¡¯s body, but I thought of noting back from that darkness, and I didn¡¯t want my wife to see that dark side of me again. She¡¯d been through shits. I can¡¯t see that horrified look in her eyes again.¡± ¡°Wee back.¡± Kye and the guys in Team Hydra shook my hands. ¡°Thank you. I have an assignment for you. This is dangerous, and I only want volunteers. Of course, you¡¯re getting hazard fees, but I can¡¯t guarantee safety. You can say no, no hard feelings.¡± I suddenly remembered what he said. ¡°This assignment is unorthodox.¡± ¡°What we¡¯ve been doing, aren¡¯t dangerous?¡± Yue smirked. ¡°This one is different.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± Yue raised his hand. ¡°Me too,¡± Kye followed, then the other five team members. ¡°I haven¡¯t told you the details.¡± ¡°We¡¯re bored. We need a little thrilling excitement,¡± Yue said. ¡°Very well, but you can still back out.¡± My phone rang. The call came from Gunner Room. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Nike Vasilyev uses the alias of Borys Ivanov, sixty-eight, Brusian national with Myeloma, stage 3, admitted at NY Cancer Institute. Room 305.¡± So that was his alias, and he chose Brusian identity. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the assignment?¡± Kye asked. ¡°You will run the op. Prep your team. Your primary objective is to protect Borys Ivanov, currently admitted at Cancer Institute, R305. You don¡¯t have to y nice with his details. All I want from you is to do your job until he leaves the city.¡± I looked at everyone. ¡°Your leader, Wilder, will brief your assignments.¡± ¡°That¡¯s boring.¡± Yue fist-bumped me. ¡°Gear up. You will have the info on your phone. I¡¯ll meet you in the briefing room,¡± Kye told his team. ¡°Keep me posted. Good luck.¡± I walked out of the room and knew Sax was about to ask. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a long story.¡± ¡°Since when did you be a Jedi?¡± I dialed Ilya¡¯s number, Ignoring Sax because he was being Sax again. ¡°My men are on the way. Keep a low profile. Don¡¯t show up when it¡¯s not necessary. They will update you if anything. You can trust them.¡± ¡°Thank you. I owe you one.¡± After the call, I went to my office and looked online for that pillow my wife wanted. Chapter 109 ESTELLE Dad and I flew back home as soon as he was cleared to travel. I missed my husband, too. Aside from the overdue board meeting, I had a job that could not wait. ¡°What the- !¡± Linden¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, lifting me up, but he was also careful not to put pressure on my growing belly. ¡°Baby.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t miss me that much, huh?¡± I wrapped my arms around his neck as I kissed the side of his head. ¡°You have no idea.¡± He put me down and hugged me. ¡°You smell amazing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, husband, but I have to get ready. I¡¯ve moved the board meeting once and can¡¯t bete.¡± ¡°Wait. Is it today?¡± He looked at me before he kissed me on the lips. ¡°Yeah. See youter over dinner.¡± ¡°Yeah. And I have something for you. It¡¯s in your closet.¡± ¡°Oh. What is it?¡± I beamed at him. ¡°My long-dyed birthday gift.¡± I chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me a gift.¡± ¡°I feel terrible already, but I will make it up to you next year.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Gabriel.¡± I hugged him. ¡°But I¡¯m gonna be toote.¡± ¡°Dinnerter, wife,¡± he called out. I was already climbing upstairs. ¡°Got it.¡± Before I freshened up, I went to my closet to check the gift he mentioned. It was not a gift. I found three boxes- one big, a medium size, a rectangr shape, probably a bracelet, and one so big and long, all wrapped with bows. I unwrapped first the big one. It was a U-shaped full-body pillow. I saw it once advertised online. So he remembered when I blurted out I wanted a maternity pillow. How thoughtful. I picked the medium size. It was a pink designer bag. It was stunning, and he knew I loved pink, and he just made me teary-eyed. It wasn¡¯t about the gifts or how much it cost him. It was just how he paid attention to what I liked. The square box. When I opened it, tears fell down my cheeks. It was a personalized rose gold ne with our baby¡¯s name. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± I wiped my tears as I took a look at it. I sniffled as I pressed it against my chest. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I smiled as I turned around and ran towards him. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tight. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, Gabriel. Thank you.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s what makes you cry?¡± I sniffled and wiped my tears as I pulled away and showed him. ¡°Can you put it on me?¡± ¡°My pleasure.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s idea is this?¡± I turned so that he could put the ne on. ¡°Mine. Why?¡± Once it was done, I faced him to kiss him. ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful. Thank you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been together for many months, and I haven¡¯t given you anything. I felt my focus was just on the job and keeping us safe. Sometimes, I neglected the most important thing in life- ¡± ¡°Overlooked.¡± ¡°Yup. I¡¯m sorry for being a horrible husband.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not horrible. I understand everything, and as long as you¡¯re there when I need you, we don¡¯t have a problem. We can always make up for what we missed doing.¡± ¡°Thank you, Estelle.¡± ¡°I have another box to open. Are you going out?¡± I went back to my closet. ¡°Thanks for the pillow, by the way. ¡°Yeah. I have to go back to Osmium.¡± He followed me. ¡°I thought twice about buying it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You might not need me in bed once you have that. I mean, I can¡¯t even hug you in that size.¡± Iughed. ¡°We¡¯ll make it work. When our baby arrives, sometimes we have to take her to bed with us, and we should put her in between so that she won¡¯t fall. So you, big guy, should have to adjust and give way.¡± ¡°I think I have no problem with that, but that fucking pillow, I might regret buying it for you sooner.¡± I yfully hit him on the arm. ¡°Stop it. It will help me fall asleep.¡± ¡°Fine, but if it will be a problem for both of us, I will throw it out.¡± ¡°You can always get another room.¡± ¡°No fucking way, Estelle. I¡¯ve already been away from you for days. I¡¯m not doing it again.¡± ¡°Easy, husband. Don¡¯t be such a touchy.¡± I held the beautiful sparkly Alexandrite and diamond bracelet in my hand. Let me guess. This is the birthday gift.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°This is beautiful. I love it.¡± ¡°I will give you the moon if it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Keep it up there, husband.¡± ¡°If you say so, wife. You¡¯re the boss. Anyway, you should congratte your dad.¡± *** ¡°Nice ne, honey.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡± ¡°Good morning, everyone. Thank you all foring and for giving me the extension I needed. I know my family issue shouldn¡¯t stand in my way of doing my job and obligation to thispany, so thanks for your understanding.¡± I looked at Mom. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the second-quarterly report.¡± ¡°Despite the setback on Star Cosmetics, sales boosted up quickly. The consumers still trust us for bringing them affordable and quality products. Star Activewear boosted up to 13%.¡± ¡°Only thirteen percent? Afterunching the new collections,¡± the shareholder, Mr. Dermont, reacted. ¡°Maybe we need new ideas, new designs that most activewear brands out there don¡¯t have.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but we will focus first on ads- ¡± He cut in. ¡°Or maybe you should hire actors to endorse our product instead of those you picked up from God knows where to be the face of Star.¡± ¡°We¡¯re living in a different world now, Mr. Dermont. Whether we like it or not, we are evolving. Those media personalities are more famous on the inte than actors who won awards for their jobs. That¡¯s the reality we are facing. For instance, a reality star have more followers on social media than an Oscar Award recipient. Most of the consumers found our ads on social media. And there are five billion people who use the inte, and it doesn¡¯t focus on American or white people alone. Different races, ethnicities, and genders use products like what we have. Remember, we haven¡¯t been in my five-year n, but we¡¯re already beyond the stratosphere.¡± ¡°If you say so, Mrs. Linden,¡± finally, he agreed. ¡°Thank you. Anything else?¡± ¡°The baby products will be ready next year. Our new designer has just signed the contract.¡± I smiled. Wi had so much potential for great sess in ourpany. It could also help boost her gallery¡¯s exposure. The ad campaign helped her sales and social media followers. Yeah, I kept track of her. ¡°Very well.¡± A soft knock interrupted us. Micah opened the door, giving way to my father. ¡°Wee back.¡± Mom smiled at Dad. Since that incident, I hadn¡¯t heard or saw them fight. ¡°Thank you, Dei.¡± ¡°Mr. dwyn.¡± The boards knew about the sale but weren¡¯t aware of who the buyer was when Linden sold it back to Dad. The financial report and list were just handed by Micah to them. ¡°Good to see you all again.¡± Dad took a seat to my right. ¡°As you all can see, I¡¯m five months pregnant and getting married again before I give birth. Since I have sat as the chairman, I¡¯ve always been involved with the process, helping our employees. Right now, I can¡¯t deny that I¡¯ve been inactive like before. My marriage isn¡¯t the reason. My pregnancy, though, and my uing wedding is another story. So, in the meantime, I am temporarily stepping down as the chairman until after my maternity leave. I¡¯m appointing my father to be the acting Chairman of Star LLC as we speak.¡± I looked at my dad, who seemed not impressed with my decision. I knew it shocked him. That was why I didn¡¯t inform him because he would decline the offer. The boards saw his reaction as well.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I¡¯m honored, but I can¡¯t ept the position.¡± ¡°Dad, this is just but temporary for a few months.¡± ¡°I know, Estelle, but- ¡± ¡°A word, please?¡± I rose from the chair. ¡°Give us a minute.¡± Dad followed me out of the conference room. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Why you¡¯re declining the position?¡± ¡°I just got you back. And honestly, I¡¯m still trying to fix the damage I¡¯ve done to you. I also have apany to run.¡± ¡°As the CEO.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to think I¡¯m here for you for the chairman position. I just wanna be your dad, Estelle.¡± ¡°I know, but you¡¯re the most qualified among them. It can¡¯t be Mom. She has a lot of work already. Call it nepo, but I owned thepany. So, please?¡± I squeezed his arms and gave him my best puppy eyes. ¡°I need to spend some time with my husband and prepare for my wedding.¡± He blew a breath. I still sensed his disapproval, so I pleaded again, ¡°Please? Pretty please?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna disappoint you.¡± ¡°Dad, no more Westons whispering in your ears. You can do this.¡± ¡°On one condition.¡± ¡°Name it.¡± ¡°Rest, pamper yourself, take care of your husband. Let the nners and coordinators do the job.¡± ¡°Done.¡± Chapter 110 LINDEN I knew this would happen. The fucking pillow was getting in our way. Iy on my back while Estelle curled into her pillow. She lookedfortable, though. I only wished she found that kind offort in me. A momentter, her body shook. She made fun of me. ¡°I can hear your brain cursing the hell out of this pillow, Gabriel.¡± She turned her head, grinning. ¡°It¡¯s all right, baby. If only I could take all your difort, pain, and weight from you. I already did. What a littlefort you found in your pillow that I wouldn¡¯t give.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Why do you sound so surprised?¡± She turned to face me. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Couples don¡¯t wanna have babies immediately because they want to spend time together, cuddle, travel, do something fun before they want another responsibility.¡± ¡°Do you want that?¡± ¡°Before we got married, you knew what I wanted, but things changed, and I don¡¯t have an ounce of regret for having a baby. Though I¡¯m still scared of this huge responsibility, but I know I¡¯m not alone. You¡¯re here with me.¡± ¡°You are not alone and won¡¯t ever be alone. We¡¯ll take care of our kid together, but you should really work on that nursery room.¡± She grinned. I sensed a surpriseing from her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Today, I stepped down as Chairman-¡± ¡°What?¡± She didn¡¯t even tell me about her decision. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I wanna rest, focus on things that I should finish doing before my maternity leave.¡± ¡°Is that wise? Why didn¡¯t you tell me before you did that?¡± She blew a breath, seemingly expecting a better reaction from me. ¡°Do you realize what we¡¯ve been through for the past weeks? I just want to sit down and feel my butt warn on the sofa while I scroll some baby clothes. I¡¯m halfway through, and I haven¡¯t finished the room. I haven¡¯t even picked a crib or mat. I didn¡¯t know what I¡¯d been doing for months.¡± ¡°Calm down, baby.¡± I caressed her cheek. She got a short fuse in a matter of seconds. ¡°I was just waiting for you. I don¡¯t want to rm you and tell you I¡¯m too excited or take your job with finishing the room. We¡¯ll do it together.¡± ¡°Maybe you will get another assignment or rescue your men.¡± ¡°They can handle it without me. I promised you already that I would be there for you. I will be involved in any decisions about our baby and our marriage. That I should have been doing from the start. Who takes over your seat?¡± ¡°Dad.¡± I pretended I wasn¡¯t shocked, but she saw it anyway. ¡°I know you¡¯re not fond of Dad, but please give him a chance.¡± ¡°I already did, and I admire what you did, trusting your father with thepany he almost forcibly took from you months ago.¡± ¡°I know. He actually declined it. He¡¯s afraid I would think he¡¯s only after the position. I¡¯m giving him a chance to prove me right, Gabriel. And I can see him bing the father I have been dreaming of for a long time.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s your decision. And he¡¯s family.¡± She smiled, holding my arm tight. ¡°Thank you. That means a loting from you.¡± ¡°I love you, Estelle, and I will do anything to make you happy. So what¡¯s your n for tomorrow?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the best thing about having no job. I can wake up anytime and still be productive.¡± ¡°How about our wedding?¡± ¡°I promised Dad I would not work hard on wedding preparation.¡± ¡°One thing we agreed on.¡± She pressed her lips against mine and kissed me three times. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Gabriel, but I still need a custom-made dress.¡± ¡°Let me help you with that.¡± ¡°No. Do your regr job, Superman. I¡¯ll do mine.¡± ¡°Will you tell me if you need anything?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She then closed her eyes, making meugh. I shook my head in amusement and annoyed at the same time. ¡°You wanted to make another baby. Then you have to suck this up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m notining. It¡¯s just I really want to hug you and touch you, my love.¡± ¡°You cane and join me.¡± ¡°Sleep tight, baby.¡± I kissed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m wondering how¡¯s Everette.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll check up on him.¡± ¡°Thanks, baby.¡± She felt sleepy right away. After a few minutes, I was also about to doze off. I moved closer and used that thing as my pillow. I just wanted to feel my wife, which made me sleep well, knowing I could smell and touch her. *** I parked the car in front of Jake¡¯s house and watched him y ser with his son. There were a lot of changes in Everette. He seemed enthusiastic, hyperactive and wasn¡¯t shy anymore. Jake did a great job raising him. Jake noticed our car. He walked to his son, gave him the ball, and said something to him. I climbed out of the vehicle as soon as he walked towards us. ¡°I thought it was you.¡± He quickly offered his hand. ¡°Apology foring unannounced.¡± I shook his hand and did a brotherly hug. ¡°Daddy!¡± Everette came with a huge grin on his face. ¡°Remember him?¡± Jake asked. ¡°Yes. Mr. Linden.¡± ¡°Hey, Everette. Estelle says hi.¡± ¡°Say hello to me.¡± ¡°You y ser, huh?¡± I ruffled Everette¡¯s hair. ¡°Yes. I love ser.¡± ¡°He also ys in his school now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. How have you been?¡± ¡°We¡¯re great. I only work five days in the bar. I want to spend a lot of time with Rette on the weekend. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll go fishing, right, Rette?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Yes! Last week, we watched a baseball game at the ballpark.¡± ¡°Good for you. I should join you next time.¡± ¡°Will Estelle join us?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll try to invite her.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you and your mene inside?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just actually dropping by. I have something for Everette.¡± Before I drove here, I dropped by the toy store. Lynx took the bags out of the trunk and brought them to Everette. The boy¡¯s eyes lit up the moment he saw the bags. ¡°I know there¡¯s nothing much, but if you need anything, just call me.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect you to visit after what happened to you and her. I¡¯m so sorry, Linden.¡± ¡°All forgiven, man.¡± ¡°Here you go, mate.¡± Lynx gave the bags to Everette and the rest to his father. ¡°This is a lot.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to pick for his age. And, um, if you want a frence job, I can offer you. Also, my wife has something for your son.¡± I took the envelope from my pocket and gave it to Jake. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± He hesitated. ¡°Probably a gift card. Take it.¡± ¡°Thank you, man. If you have time, you can drop by my bar. It¡¯s small, but it has beer.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I waved at Everette. ¡°See you, buddy.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± He was grinning the entire time, checking what was in the paper bag. ¡°I love puzzles and lego.¡± ¡°Just be careful not to step on your lego.¡± I called my wife as soon as I climbed into the car. Lynx took the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Hey, baby daddy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m your husband, Estelle.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I just gave my number to that guy.¡± I knew she was joking. ¡°You¡¯re flirting even though you¡¯re pregnant and married?¡± ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a hot mamma.¡± ¡°No doubt. Where are you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not picking me up right now. I¡¯m with Mom. I found a very cute crib, but it cost a fortune. This is not even made of titanium or gold.¡± ¡°Just buy it, babe. Buy anything you want.¡± ¡°Oh, I already bought it. It¡¯s your credit card I¡¯m using anyway.¡± Iughed. Lynx gave me a weird look. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the best decision you ever made, and that¡¯s why I gave you the card.¡± ¡°Do you realize I¡¯m rich, Gabriel?¡± ¡°I know, baby. You don¡¯t have to shove it to my face, but you¡¯re shopping for our baby, so I don¡¯t give a damn if you spend my one-year sry.¡± ¡°Mom likes the ne. She said she might buy one just like mine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s personalized. What she¡¯s going to put on? Your name?¡± ¡°No, the same as mine.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s great. I feel like I have a lot ofpetition for my child¡¯s attention, and she hasn¡¯t been born yet.¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s already well-loved.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d, Estelle. Are we having dinner tonight?¡± ¡°No. I will be having dinner with Mom.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You have your guys. I barely spent time with Mom. Don¡¯t be pesky and jealous. I¡¯ming home to you anyway.¡± ¡°Yeah? But I¡¯m literally sleeping alone.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Fine. When I¡¯m not going to sleep, you can cuddle me.¡± ¡°I want more than cuddling, Estelle. You¡¯re my wife.¡± I watched Lynx shake his head. ¡°Block your ears, Lynx.¡± ¡°Why? What is he doing?¡± ¡°I think Sax¡¯s attitude is like a gue. Lynx is slowly turning like him.¡± ¡°See youter, husband.¡± ¡°Baby, don¡¯t bete.¡± ¡°I heard you. I wanna do it in the bathtub.¡± I was confused. The only thing that came to my head was waterbirth. ¡°Give birth?¡± ¡°No, dumbass.¡± ¡°Okay, baby. I love you.¡± I hung up the call and chuckled. ¡°I wished I could unhear everything.¡± Lynx tsked with a shake of his head. ¡°The call wasn¡¯t even on speaker.¡± ¡°I can hear it, boss.¡± ¡°Just shut up. Do you have a girlfriend?¡± ¡°Nah, mate. I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°You might be into a redhead. I know just a girl. Someone broke your heart, too?¡± I looked at him. ¡°Something like that, but no thanks to the redhead. And I know someone out there waiting for me, and she will be worth the wait, but right now, I am more focused on the job.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you full of surprises, mate,¡± I copied his ent, even if it was horrible. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to feel that way when I met Estelle. The first time I saw her picture, I was attracted to her already, and when you meet the right one for you, everything just clicks.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a luckyss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the other way around. What made you say that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good man willing to do anything and give up everything for her. My father is your opposite, mate. He gave up on my mother, gallivanted around the world, and took women with him just around your wife¡¯s age. You, on the other hand, just became one of the most sessful self-made. You settled down instead of showing the world what you got. And chivalry isn¡¯t dead.¡± Chapter 111 ESTELLE Standing stark naked before me, his big cock rested with pride. Linden joined me in the tub and made a low, masculine, sexy sound as he dipped into the water. We stared at each other- the intensity set my body on fire. I let my foot trace his thigh until I found what I was looking for. My pulse quickened as I rubbed it with my foot. He grew instantly hard. Linden moved his hand, tracing his fingers over my knee, moving circles. I was instantly wet. He flicked his gaze to my bare chest, turning me intensely on. My breasts were heavier. My nipples were hard. Heat rose in my cheeks. Arousal thickened my throat. As he leaned close, he cupped my head and took my mouth. I gasped. He started kissing me slowly but quickly turned hot and greedy, kissing me like he was starving. Not breaking the kiss, he pulled me, encasing me so I could sit astride his thighs. The water sshed. Wrapped my legs around his waist, I sat, rocking my hips against him. I could feel him so hard, poking my ass, enticing me. He tore his mouth from mine, looking at me through hooded eyes. ¡°You wanna be fucked in the bathtub? Sit on my cock, baby.¡± I didn¡¯t waste any moment. I gripped his cock and positioned it on my entrance, and I felt it sink, swallowed inch by inch inside me. ¡°Oh, God.¡± I shuddered. The further I sunk in, the more I moaned until I reached his root. And I waspletely sitting on him. I forgot how ample he was in this position. He filled and stretched me, and I thought his head nudged my womb. I lifted my ass and slowly sunk in again. This time, Linden held my hips. Without warning, he rocked into me hard and steady. A sharp cry tore out of my throat. He covered my mouth with a searing kiss as he plunged his length up, deep and hard. The tightness in the grip of his fingers would leave a mark, but I didn¡¯t care at this moment because the sensation was pure, and the pressure below my abdomen was growing and growing. ¡°Gabriel!¡± Each plunge had me crying, writhing, and moaning, but it didn¡¯t give him a reason to stop. He fucked me faster and harder. My breasts jiggled, bouncing up and down. His thrust sped up. He dipped his head into the crook of my neck and sucked my skin- surely it would give me a hickey tomorrow. ¡°I¡¯m close. I¡¯ming!¡± I felt my inner muscles spasming. My clit swelled and was already very sensitive than ever. ¡°On four. Braced your hands on the edge. Tell me to stop if it¡¯s too much.¡± He pulled out, letting me move. ¡°I can take it. I want it.¡± Before I could take another breath, I was already doing what he asked. Fortunately, the tub was big enough for the two of us, as if made only for us- for fucking. ¡°God, Gabriel!¡± Without warning, he licked my anus and dragged his tongue down my pussy. My knees wobbled, almost giving up. My arms shook. My body shivered, yet I was on fire. I let go of broken breaths and panting as tears filled my eyes. I was still catching my breath. His cock was already inside me. I was fully impaled, surrendering myself to him and my desire. With one harrowing plunge, his thickness pummeled fast and hard. My breasts joggled. ¡°Too much.¡± He growled. His voice restrained but did not stop. I knew Linden- he had the stamina for hours-his sexual unparalleled stamina. His body was trained for good performance and strength. He could take me for hours and give me multiple orgasms until my body gave up. While he pounded me, he rubbed my spine. His hips banged against my ass. Secondster, my muscles tightened, and my inner walls spasmed. ¡°Come around me, my love.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± An ecstatic cry filled the air with his words encouraging me, and his thumb pressed against my butt hole. I came so hard. Waves of euphoria went on and on, and my body sagged. Linden continued pumping, his balls pping my pussy, and his cock kicked inside me, and I felt he was about to explode. ¡°Jesus. It feels so fucking good.¡± His pain-filled groan rumbled in his chest. ¡°Fuck!¡± With one hard thrust, he stilled. His back arched, his body shuddering as he released hise inside me. *** LINDEN ¡°This is the designing to life, baby.¡± I kissed the top of her head as I looked around. ¡°It¡¯s pretty, right?¡± She sat on the new pink recliner she had bought. I already had her image feeding our baby on this chair. ¡°Pretty is a simple word. You did an amazing job.¡± I didn¡¯t even have any idea what type of pink was on the wall, but it already looked amazing. ¡°The bed, crib, drawer, and changing table will be delivered in two days. I can¡¯t wait to see the room done.¡± I knelt before her. ¡°I¡¯m as excited as terrified to be a father, but I can¡¯t wait to see our baby, Estelle.¡± I ced my palm on her growing belly. ¡°I haven¡¯t had her in my arms, and my heart is filled with so much joy and love for her.¡± Estelle slowly leaned in to kiss my nose and ced her hands on top of mine. ¡°Me too, Gabriel. Thank you for giving me this child.¡± ¡°I should be the one saying that because you know how much I wanted to have a family, but you¡¯re wee.¡± I stood up. ¡°Did you take your vitamins?¡± She stilled, meaning she was reminded but forgot. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Estelle, you have to take it. The next time, before we have breakfast, you will take your vitamins.¡± ¡°It slipped my mind.¡± ¡°I may have to hire a private nurse for you if you keep forgetting your vitamins.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t forget it next time, pesky.¡± I went out of the room to take her vitamins. When I came back, she was standing on the round stool as she tried to put a letter on the wall-my heart in my throat. I quickly threw the vitamins on the chair and rushed to hold her at her waist before she got into a terrible ident. ¡°What the fuck, Estelle?¡± I lifted her off the foamed stool. ¡°What the fuck were you thinking, standing alone on the chair? Didn¡¯t I hire people to do that fucking job?¡± ¡°Can you put me down now?¡± She grunted. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± I slowly ced her feet on the floor and stared at her in outrage. ¡°No. You don¡¯t fucking know what you¡¯re doing. You could easily stumble, miss a foot, or the chair gave up. Your weight isn¡¯t just yours. You have our baby. For fuck sake, Estelle. Don¡¯t do that again, or I will force them finish the room without your assistance. Do you understand me?¡± She red back. ¡°Do you think I wanna harm myself? I know that stool was sturdy.¡± ¡°It could be sturdy, but you could have lost your bnce. Just stay on the floor-no more lifting or going up the chair. Don¡¯t make me do it, and you end up hating me. I¡¯d rather see you angry at me than watch you getting yourself harmed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, ain¡¯t I? I wouldn¡¯t have done it if I¡¯m not sure it could carry my weight.¡± She was still defending herself even if she knew she was wrong. She was still as stubborn and would never change. ¡°Just stay seated. Wait until they arrive, then you can tell them however you want. I know you want to be involved, but please, don¡¯t make me worry about your safety even in our own home?¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± Her eyes still narrowed. When I didn¡¯t want to argue further, she went back to the chair to sit down, and now she wasn¡¯t looking or talking to me.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I should go to work. I¡¯ll see youter?¡± I leaned to kiss her, but she didn¡¯t even react. ¡°Baby?¡± ¡°I heard you.¡± Her voice was stern, and I could feel her vibrating in anger. ¡°I¡¯ll get you water so you can take your vitamins.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call the maid. Thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re angry.¡± I softened my voice. Thest thing I wanted was to piss her off, but sometimes she had to be reminded how impulsive and reckless she was. And she was not alone anymore- she had an innocent in her womb- she was carrying our child. ¡°Just go, Gabriel.¡± I let go of one shuddering breath. ¡°I just wanna keep you out of any harm, especially-¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m pregnant. I haven¡¯t forgotten that. Now, please, leave?¡± I nodded. ¡°Okay, my love. I love you.¡± I just walked out of the room and heard nothing. Great. Chapter 112 ESTELLE ¡°Just follow the design and make sure it¡¯s childproof, but the furniture will arrive on Wednesday,¡± I told one of the guys from K&B Designs. ¡°Understood, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave you all to my staff. If you need anything, just let them know so they can call me. I have an errand to run.¡± ¡°Got it. Thank you.¡± I left the house, hoping I could get to talk to Dad before he got swamped with work. I couldn¡¯t shake the guilt off my body. And I felt ashamed of how I handled the situation earlier. Instead, I overreacted when my husband was right the whole time. I was five months pregnant and just risked my baby. I could have reacted worse if I was in Linden¡¯s position. ¡°Well, hello, preggy.¡± I was d to see Micah. Honestly, I missed her, but I couldn¡¯t keep her with me since Dad needed her more than I did. ¡°How¡¯s your new boss?¡± ¡°Awfully good. He doesn¡¯t demand and makes my job a little easier.¡± ¡°Unlike me?¡± I arched a brow. Sheughed. ¡°Your work is the one demanding. You¡¯re here to see Mr. dwyn?¡± ¡°Yup, if he¡¯s free.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Your Mom is there too.¡± ¡°Wow. I¡¯d be surprised if they get back together now that Mom is halfway to her divorce.¡± ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± I didn¡¯t want them to get hurt when things did not work out between them again, but they were both adults and knew what they were doing.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure Mom¡¯s here about work. I¡¯ll go see them before they do something inappropriate.¡± ¡°I pretend I didn¡¯t hear that.¡± She gestured to her Airpods. I knocked first. When I heard Dad say toe in, I pushed the door. Yeah, they were still in their clothes, and Mom was sitting on the chair across from Dad with some files on herp. ¡°Hey. What are you doing here?¡± Dad stood up and walked in my direction. ¡°Hey, honey. I thought taking a long break meant not showing up your ass around here,¡± Mom said. ¡°I¡¯m here to see how it¡¯s going and make sure no one sees both of you making out.¡± I kissed them both. ¡°Kidding.¡± ¡°How¡¯s the baby?¡± Mom smiled as she asked. Her gaze fell on my growing abdomen as if I just swallowed a balloon. ¡°I felt her move a lot early in the morning.¡± ¡°Do you sleep well?¡± I looked at Dad. ¡°Yeah. Gabriel bought me a pillow, and it¡¯s sofy he¡¯s already jealous of it.¡± They smiled. ¡°Now, why are you here? Shouldn¡¯t you be decorating the room or talking to the designers for your gown?¡± Mom ced her hands on my tummy. ¡°My baby girl, I can¡¯t wait to hold you.¡± ¡°The room will be finished this Wednesday. The guys from K&B Designs are actually there right now. And I¡¯ll be talking to the designer this week.¡± ¡°Do you need Micah, honey?¡± ¡°No, Dad.¡± I sat across from my mother. ¡°No. Really, take her with you. I¡¯m sure HR can find me a temporary assistant.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then I will take Micah once she has a recement.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call the HR,¡± Mom volunteered, ncing at my father. ¡°Do you want younger, Gustav?¡± ¡°I want an experienced assistant, Dei.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to work hard, Dad. You¡¯re still healing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking my meds, and the pain and difort lessen every day. Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t lift heavy weights anyway.¡± ¡°Well, are you both freeter?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Mom asked. ¡°I wanna have dinner with you and Jaymes at his restaurant.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯d love to visit that ce,¡± Mom said. ¡°Later at seven?¡± ¡°Sure, honey.¡± ¡°Dad?¡± I called him, but he hadn¡¯t replied. ¡°Yeah. Of course, I will be there.¡± ¡°Thanks. I got to go. I need to see my husband.¡± I rose from my seat. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I saw the concern in my father¡¯s face. ¡°Nah. It¡¯s my fault anyway. I¡¯m going to woo him.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but giggle. They shared a look. ¡°See youter, guys.¡± I walked out of the office, and they were still speechless. ¡°Micah?¡± ¡°Yes, madam.¡± ¡°My ass. Dad will have a new assistant, and you wille with me once he gets a recement. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Does it involve a lot of traveling?¡± Her eyes sparkled. ¡°No. You and I will stay home, sit on a couch, binge-watch on Netflix, and eat pizza. Is that okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯re boring.¡± She pursed her lips. Her arms crossed over her chest. ¡°But you don¡¯t have a choice anyway.¡± A slow smile broke on her face before it turned into a grin. ¡°Can¡¯t wait.¡± ¡°Juste to the house, okay?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°Byers.¡± On our way to Osmium, Qamar and Quinn were in a conversation in a differentnguage. When they did that, they wanted to make sure I wouldn¡¯t understand. ¡°What are you two talking about? What¡¯s with the secrecy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an assignment, Estelle.¡± ¡°Wow. Since when did you learn to speak Arabic, Quinn?¡± ¡°In a training.¡± ¡°That intense, huh?¡± ¡°I only learn the basics. Jasper is multilingual, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡± We arrived at the Osmium. Quinn offered to send me up to Linden¡¯s office. Qamar stayed down and met his colleagues. Once we got in the elevator, I cornered Quinn. ¡°What did you two talk about, Quinn? And don¡¯t tell it¡¯s above your pay grade you can¡¯t disclose.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you not because I don¡¯t trust you, but my lips are sealed, and the more you know nothing about it, the better.¡± ¡°Is this about Ilya?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking Gabriel if you won¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Leaving Quinn behind me, I walked to Linden¡¯s office once the elevator slid wide. ¡°Mrs. Linden, I¡¯m sorry. Okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Quinn. I know how it does work around here.¡± Before I could enter the office, Hope was on her desk. ¡°Hey.¡± She quickly stood up. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to say thank you. So, thank you for what you did back in London.¡± ¡°My job, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Thank you anyway.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± ¡°Is Gabriel here?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I was about to open the door, but she was about to say something. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°He has a visitor.¡± ¡°Who?¡± She opened her mouth but seemed to find it hard to say a word. With my heart beating fast and my stomach knotted with dread, I opened the door to Linden¡¯s office. Linden turned his head in my direction, and I saw the instant excitement and joy in his eyes. Hope was right, though. Linden had a visitor, but it wasn¡¯t what I was thinking. ¡°Hey.¡± He stood up and left his visitor to kiss me on the cheek. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± His question wasn¡¯t intrusive. He was just surprised. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have called you first or waited outside.¡± I looked over his shoulder while his visitor was already standing behind him. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Linden turned. ¡°Estelle, this is Ilya.¡±Ilya? The Ilya? Oh, my God. ¡°Ilya.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± He offered his hand. He was tall as Linden, with broad shoulders, a wide chest with chestnut brown buzz cut hair, deep, intense blue-green eyes, strong jaw, like a perfect action star. Man, he was beautiful if he wasn¡¯t a mafia. I had no choice but to shake it. ¡°Estelle, but you know me already, am I right?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± His ent. I must admit, I almost didn¡¯t catch a hint of his Russian. He must have gone to an international school or something or a part of the grooming process to be a future mafia leader and learn manynguages and ents. He was also well-dressed in a ck shirt and suit. ¡°Yeah. I wish I could say the same thing, but I am sure. I owe you a thank you. I guess.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything. And you don¡¯t have to be scared of me.¡± ¡°Well, if I didn¡¯t know who you are, and we just bumped into each other in the street, I wouldn¡¯t have suspected how dangerous you are. But it¡¯s good to finally meet the man behind the hush-hush.¡± ¡°Hush hush, huh?¡± He smiled, showing his perfectly white teeth, which almost looked like veneer but not. His dentist did a good job. And damn, he had dimples too. He really had a good specimen. He turned to my husband. ¡°I should get going.¡± He extended his hand. ¡°I wish your father a fast recovery.¡± My husband shook it firmly. ¡°Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done. I owe my life.¡± He then looked at me, ¡°Mrs. Linden.¡± I still followed him with my gaze as he walked out of the office. ¡°Damn.¡± ¡°What?¡± I caught the annoyance in Linden¡¯s voice as he snapped. ¡°Damn. He¡¯s fucking hot.¡± I wasn¡¯t trying to make Linden jealous, but I admitted I exaggerated with words. It was just apliment, but I still heard him groan. ¡°He¡¯s fucking hot, huh?¡± When I looked at him, he was already frowning. His jaw locked as I cupped his face and tried to kiss him on the lips. ¡°You¡¯re hotter, and I am yours. Yours only.¡± I kissed him hard to erase the frown between his eyes. ¡°Damn, right, you¡¯re mine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier.¡± His expression was nk because he knew I made a mistake and was waiting for my grand apology. ¡°Which one? When youplimented Ilya?¡± ¡°When I got mad at you for trying to save my ass from falling. I enjoy being pregnant. I love our baby. Maybe I forget I am pregnant because I don¡¯t struggle with severe back pain, morning sickness, or pedal edema. I didn¡¯t think I would fall when I went up the chair. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He sighed and wrapped his arms around me. ¡°I¡¯m an overprotective husband. It¡¯s in my nature. I may say something terrible, but it wasn¡¯t intended for you. I wanna get it out of my chest instead of using my fist.¡± ¡°Understand.¡± He held my hand, making me follow him, and quickly lifted me as he let me sit on his desk. He then kissed my abdomen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too.¡± ¡°You have the right to get mad at me, but what is Ilya doing here?¡± ¡°They¡¯re leaving the country today. His father had undergone a transnt, and he wanted to take him back home and recover there.¡± ¡°So he came to you personally for what?¡± ¡°My men had been watching his father for days.¡± ¡°Really? You risk your men for him?¡± I asked roughly. ¡°We don¡¯t get to choose who we protect, baby. His father may be a ruthless piece of shit, but he¡¯s also helpless. We protect his life and not what he had done.¡± ¡°He killed probably a hundred innocent people.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee they¡¯re all innocent. I also did that because I know what it feels like to be hopeless and helpless in a foreign country. And I have no bad blood with him. He also freed Jasper. That¡¯s something I should be thankful for. And maybe I can use him in the future.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t like you involving this kind of people. You are not an ordinary man anymore, Gabriel. You have a reputation and name to keep clean. Be careful of the people you acquaint yourself with. It can be used against you one day.¡± He looked at me, eyes sparkling. ¡°God, I love you. So fucking much.¡± Chapter 113 LINDEN It was still surreal watching my father talking with Gustav. I didn¡¯t think it would happen sooner, but looking at them getting along was fulfilling for me and Estelle. ¡°You okay?¡± Estelle ced her hand on my thigh under the table. ¡°Yeah. You?¡± I didn¡¯t have to ask because I saw it in her eyes. She looked happy. This must have been her dream for a long time, not seeing her parents at each other¡¯s throats. Wi gave me a questioning look, sitting next to Dad. I slightly shook my head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been to many restaurants, but your food has a distinct taste that I didn¡¯t find anywhere. What¡¯s the secret? Am I allowed to ask it?¡± Dad chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s all the same. The ingredients we choose but how we prepare and cook are different.¡± ¡°I also try cooking at home if I have time, but not as close to good as this. Edible, though,¡± Gustav said. ¡°I can¡¯t cook anything fancy, but I know a few pasta recipes. I just don¡¯t have time, I guess.¡± Deirdre also enjoyed the menu. I was d Estelle came up with this family dinner idea, and we could do this once a month. ¡°Gabe can make a pretty mean breakfast.¡± ¡°The meanest breakfast,¡± my wife seconded Wi. ¡°But he hasn¡¯t made breakfast for metely. When I saytely, it means months.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know you missed my cooking.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I didn¡¯t know she anticipated my cooking. Good to know. ¡°Well, wife, you will have it in the morning and after that for the rest of our lives.¡± ¡°Is that a promise?¡± I noticed everyone was watching us. ¡°I don¡¯t have to because I will do it for you. But yes, it¡¯s a promise.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. I already appreciate everything you do for me.¡± ¡°Like what? Leaving me for the pillow.¡± She wrinkled her nose, and I thought it was cute. She looked at my father to her parents before saying, ¡°I can¡¯t believe he bought me a pillow and gets jealous of it afterward.¡± ¡°Since you have that pillow, I feel like I be your non-existent husband. Do you notice I use it as my pillow to get near you?¡± ¡°Aw,¡± her mom reacted. ¡°Poor Gabe.¡± ¡°Yeah, poor me, Deirdre. But she¡¯s my wife, and I will do anything for her. If I could only take away her pain, I already did.¡± Wi just had a teary eye. My father and Gustav had a smile with gratitude. Gustav maybe just realized how much I loved his daughter. ¡°When will the wedding be? You know your baby is not going to stay there longer.¡± ¡°I know that, Mom.¡± She sighed. ¡°Just let me hire a wedding nner,¡± Deirdre suggested. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Honey, I¡¯m not the one pregnant. You can¡¯t exhaust yourself. You¡¯re the bride, and besides, it¡¯s my job.¡± ¡°And mine,¡± her father backed it up. ¡°I took a vacation to prepare for the wedding and rest,¡± Estelle told her parents. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can still help, check the progress, but you have to get yourself measured and give an extension if you¡¯re getting married in the next two months,¡± her mom pointed out. ¡°She¡¯s right, baby.¡± ¡°I think we can get married early next month, right?¡± Estelle looked at me for approval. ¡°You need to get your license in Italy,¡± Wi reminded me. ¡°I will process that and the venue.¡± ¡°Good. You have work to do. You might as well take an early vacation, son.¡± ¡°Yes, Pops.¡± ¡°Um, Wi, will you be my maid of honor?¡± My sister gasped. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then it will be my honor.¡± *** Two weekster, we were back where we first met, at Marettimo, west of Sicily. The weather was not hot, which was good. It wouldn¡¯t exhaust Estelle. Everything was ready for the wedding, from the venue and the reception. We got our license, her gown and my suit just arrived. Our invitation was out. We rushed everything because we wanted to have time together before our wedding. I took a leave from workst week. The nursery was finally finished, and I couldn¡¯t wait any longer to see my child in that room. It was beautiful. The interior designer did a great job, making my wife cry to see the final look. ¡°I just bought this swimsuitst week, and look, it doesn¡¯t fit me anymore.¡± She showed me the top, frowning. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. When her frown deepened, I hid it quickly. ¡°You should have bought a bigger cup, baby, with less skin.¡± I looked at the bottom. The front was safe, but it barely covered the crack of her ass. ¡°I wish I could help you, my love.¡± ¡°Never mind. She put on a robe.¡± ¡°Come and sit down. Let me apply your sunscreen before youin of having too much tan on our wedding day.¡± I rented a yacht for the whole family, but they would arrive tomorrow. Today, I have it all to myself and my wife. She sat beside me but was still pesky. I applied sunscreen on her shoulder. ¡°You can get angry because of that swimsuit. It still fits perfectly, and it¡¯s natural for your tits to erge during pregnancy.¡± ¡°Show me the empathy, Gabriel. You¡¯re not the one with the size of a baby elephant.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t a baby elephant cute? I found it adorable.¡± Iughed, and she rewarded me with a re. ¡°I love you no matter your size, even if your body won¡¯t return to how I first met you. Nothing¡¯s going to change between us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just saying that because you want a baby.¡± ¡°Babies. I still eat you and fuck you, am I not? If I don¡¯t like your body or love you, I won¡¯t eat and fuck you anymore.¡± ¡°You should refrain from saying fuck or any profanities.¡± ¡°Just when the two of us, especially in bed. Stand up so that I can put lotion on the back of your legs.¡± She did as I said. ¡°Where are we going anyway?¡± ¡°Just around here.¡± Her ass was just at my eye level and grew more prominent. ¡°The water looks so cool.¡± I pulled the bottom of her suit, cupped her ass cheeks with my palm, spread it, pressed my nose on the crack, and licked her pussy, making her yelp. Her smell intoxicated me, and her taste made me hard. She looked over her shoulder. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I practice what I preach. And you still smell and taste good.¡± I gripped my cock from the shorts I was wearing. ¡°I want you, baby.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going on a swim.¡± Her words were firm, refusing me. I still had her in my grip. ¡°If you¡¯re not wet, you can swim, but if you are, I will give you an orgasm. I know why you¡¯re not in a mood. We both were busy with the wedding prep. And I¡¯m sorry if I take you for granted.¡± ¡°This is what we want. To get this done.¡± ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re under a lot of stress, but we also have to enjoy, and we have needs. Don¡¯t we?¡± I held her hand. ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°I promise we will sleep together once we get back to the vi. The water is so inviting, please?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not mad at me?¡± I looked at her in the eye. ¡°I can¡¯t even if I want.¡± ¡°Okay then.¡± I went down first to the water and helped her when I felt the water wasn¡¯t freezing cold. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I haven¡¯t swam since we left this ind.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Me too. We spent in a bathtub, though.¡± Her cheeks turned red. She may have remembered what we did in the tub. I was hard again, and she felt it. Her eyes grew wide. How could I not? Her arms snaked around my neck, and her legs wrapped around my waist. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± She looked away. ¡°I can take you here.¡± ¡°What?¡± She sounded surprised. ¡°People might see us, and this is so deep.¡± ¡°No. It isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hold your horses, Gabriel. I¡¯m not going to have sex here in the water.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth a try,¡± I smirked, and she shut it off with her lips before she let go of herself and swam away. ¡°It would be fun, baby.¡± ¡°I watched a movie once where a fish got in her vagina. So, no way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fiction. The only thing that will get into your vagina is my cock, my fingers, and my tongue.¡± Sheughed louder. Her voice echoed. ¡°You¡¯re so lewd.¡± ¡°But you love it.¡± ¡°Fine, but we will do it in the boat. Jeez. You should tone down your libido. My tummy is as big as the watermelon.¡± Chapter 114 ESTELLE ¡°Gabriel Rembrandt, do you take Estelle Rae Sce to be yourwful wedded wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love her, honor her, tofort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Estelle Rae Sce, do you take Gabriel Rembrandt to be yourwful wedded husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, to honor him, tofort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.¡± He put the ring on my finger. ¡°I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love,¡± I repeated as I slipped the ring into his finger. ¡°By virtue of the authority vested in me under thews of Is di Marettimo, Italy, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.¡± Linden in a solid beige suit was a sight to behold. And his smile made my heart skip a beat. ¡°I love you, Estelle.¡± ¡°I love you, too, Gabriel.¡± I closed my eyes and felt his wet lips pressed against mine. And I was vaguely aware of our witnesses from our families and friends pping. At this moment, I¡¯d never been this happy in my entire life. ¡°Yes!¡± Lindenughed. ¡°You¡¯re mine again.¡± I got a reward of a kiss before we walked to the aisle. Dad and Mom walked me down the aisle earlier. Moses and Rome and his wife Princess Carlott were our sponsors. Cenric and Sadie, Mykel and Adley, Beck and Maeve, Striker and London, who just gave birth two weeks ago, were also here. Of course, Jasper, Grace, Micah, Hope, Tate, Striker¡¯s adopted father, were present, and this ceremony wouldn¡¯t beplete without Linden¡¯s men. Sax was his best man, while Wi was my maid of honor. Our guests were from ourpanies, Star LLC, Osmium, the Hover, and family friends. We headed to the reception in the vi at the mountaintop to greet and wee our guests. It was spectacr, with table arrangements, fresh flowers, and lights. At night, it was breathtaking. And everyone seemed to be having fun. After we danced for a while, my feet were killing me. ¡°Baby, I wanna sit down.¡± ¡°Something wrong? Is it your abdomen?¡± My husband¡¯s hands came to my baby bump. ¡°No. Just my feet.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He helped us to our table. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m fine.¡± Chuckling, I pped his thigh yfully. Sax caught my eye talking to one of our guests. ¡°I hope Sax finds his woman tonight.¡± Linden noticed it, too. ¡°I still have a lot of single men. Quinn, Lynx, Q, Kye. I don¡¯t know why they are still single when they have a lot of time to go on dates.¡± ¡°How about you, husband? What took you so long to find your woman?¡± He looked down at me with a smile and kissed me on the nose. ¡°Timing, my love.¡± ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t that perfect?¡± ¡°You are perfect and beautiful.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I froze. My hand flew to my abdomen.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Wow.¡± I grabbed his hand and ced it where she kicked so hard. ¡°Wow, my baby girl.¡± He still felt her movement. ¡°She¡¯s practicing kicking boys in their groins.¡± Iughed. ¡°I will enroll her in martial arts.¡± He also joined me inughing until his smile faded. I followed where his gaze fell. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± ¡°Wait a sec.¡± ¡°Baby, don¡¯t.¡± I held his hand. ¡°Wi is a grown woman.¡± ¡°He¡¯s dangerous, a murderer, and a mafia. She won¡¯t have a normal life with him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s also dangerously handsome and charming.¡± He groaned before he sat back and asked, ¡°What the fuck is he doing here anyway?¡± ¡°We should ask him that?¡± As if he heard us, he came to our table. ¡°Congrattions. Beautiful ceremony.¡± He took my hand first and kissed it. ¡°You look lovely, Mrs. Linden.¡± When he offered a handshake to Linden, I could already feel the tension. Linden gripped it hard and didn¡¯t let it go. ¡°Stay away from my sister, or you found an enemy tonight.¡± ¡°Wi doesn¡¯t know who I am, does she?¡± His eyebrow raised a little as if challenging Linden. ¡°Fuck off, Vasilyev.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He smiled.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Finally, Linden let his hand go, but my husband didn¡¯t even blink as he watched Ilya walk out of the reception. A few minutester, Moses came to us. ¡°Did you invite him?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t risk anything because he knew he was ying with fire. And they were talking. Not flirting.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t like the idea of him walking around and talking to my friends and family,¡± Linden said through gritted teeth. ¡°He knew his limitation,¡± Moses tried to calm Linden, but his body was still stiff. ¡°And don¡¯t ruin your wedding day. He¡¯s not worth it.¡± ¡°What is he doing here, anyway?¡± Before Moses could answer, Terzo came to us. ¡°Best wishes to both of you.¡± ¡°Thanks for the gift, Terzo. You shouldn¡¯t have bothered, but I appreciate it.¡± I tried to lighten up the tension. I felt like Ilya ruined my husband¡¯s mood and wedding day. ¡°My pleasure.¡± When Moses and Terzo left us, I held his hand. ¡°Gabriel, please forget about what you see. This is our wedding, our special day. Maybe Moses was right. He just came here to extend his greetings.¡± ¡°I doubt that, baby. He¡¯s here on business, but it¡¯s not a coincidence why he just walked in without invitation.¡± He gestured at Lynx. ¡°Someone let him in despite our security restrictions.¡± Lynx came in. ¡°Yes, boss.¡± ¡°How did Ilya manage toe inside our reception?¡± ¡°He has an invitation, boss.¡± Linden and I shared a look. ¡°We did not invite him.¡± ¡°What do you want us to do?¡± ¡°Nothing. Make sure someone has eyes on my sister.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± *** We traveled to the next ind the following day. It was a perfect getaway with beautiful, pristine, clear-water beaches and stunning tourist spots. ¡°Are you tired?¡± ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t want to think about bad guys and troubles right now. I just wanna be with you and spend every second of our honeymoon kissing you, hugging you, and more kissing-¡± ¡°And fucking.¡± His lips curved up in a wicked smile. ¡°Take it easy, husband. I¡¯m very pregnant right now.¡± ¡°Dr. Chesca didn¡¯t say something about forbidding you from sex.¡± ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t let you fuck me three times overnight.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I will take you slow and dirty.¡± He leaned in and joined me in bed. His hand went south, between my thighs, slipping inside my dress. ¡°Kiss me, my love.¡± He didn¡¯t have to say twice. I opened my mouth to wee him, and he didn¡¯t waste any more seconds. He slipped his tongue and kissed me hard like he had been starved for days. I let him do as he pleased, taking off my clothes and throwing them over his shoulder. Once I was naked before him, he rose to his feet and stripped his clothes one by one. My eyes drifted to his hard cock, making my lips dry. Then he joined me back, carefullyy beside me, and kissed me again. Heat raced through me as I melted into his kiss. My breasts were heavier and bigger, and my nipples were hard and sensitive, wanting attention, but it didn¡¯t stop me from enjoying sex. My back arched in anticipation. Linden didn¡¯t disappoint. He captured my nipple with his mouth, sucking it and releasing it with a pop. ¡°You still don¡¯t have milk.¡± My brows furrowed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I should Google it.¡± His answer made me chuckle. ¡°Do you always Google everything?¡± ¡°Pretty handy.¡± He paid the same attention to the other. I moved my hand to his head. ¡°I want you now, baby.¡± ¡°Would you like to be on top?¡± ¡°No. Just take me right now.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Just no fucking.¡± ¡°Just make love to me.¡± ¡°My pleasure, my love.¡± The moment he was in, my body burned with an intense sensation. I moaned as his hand cupped my breasts, his tongue against mine as he rocked his hips forward, enticing something deep inside me. I grew wetter the slower he thrust. I grew desperate the way sweetly he kissed me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, seeking the fiction I ached for, that I would lose my goddamn mind if I wouldn¡¯t get it. He growled into my mouth. He felt it, too. He sped up his thrust, making me whimper. My hips jumped at the contact of his thumb against my clit, working on my sensitive spot until I was on the brink of my orgasm. I rolled my hips as he took his thrust further and deeper. The faster he did, my head fell back against the pillow, my hips bucking against his ministration. And I was panting as the intense pressure built in my core. ¡°Fuck.¡± I felt him. He grew bigger inside me, my muscles clenched around him, and my heart was about to give out. ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± My fingers dug into the flesh on his back as I tried to stifle my moan, but before I could take control of my world, I was already screaming his name as a convulsion of pleasure rippled through me until the aftershock of my orgasm eased. Linden came just seconds after, and his body fell to my side. ¡°You¡¯re still irresistible after I married you twice, Estelle.¡± ¡°And you still have a big dick after bing my husband twice, Gabriel Rembrandt.¡± Chapter 115 Epilogue ESTELLE Sixteen monthster ¡°Hey, baby.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Who would have thought I could be this happy and contented with life? I had a thrivingpany. I had friends, families, and my baby Rae. And my parents turned out to be good as best friends. And my husband, my best friend, my lover, my anchor. God, how could I be so lucky to have a man like Gabriel Linden? ¡°I¡¯m on my way home. Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be home in one hour. I¡¯m still at Osmium. Do you need anything?¡± Linden¡¯spany had three times more employees and opened two HQs in Dubai and Qatar. I was so proud of him. No matter how busy he was, he made sure to have time for me and his daughter. ¡°Nope. Just checking how long you would be home.¡± I took over the chairman chair from my dad, but I always got so excited to go home to him and to be with our baby. ¡°Why?¡± There was an excitement in his voice. ¡°I could wait a few minutes in the tub. I thought you might wanna join me.¡± He groaned out a curse. ¡°Is that a no?¡± ¡°When did I turn your offer down? Thirty minutes, baby.¡± ¡°Well, it depends if Baby Rae will not fuss.¡± I bit my bottom lip as I waited for his reply. ¡°Don¡¯t put my daughter to bed until I¡¯m home. I wanna y with her.¡± ¡°Alright. You y with her while I¡¯m in the tub.¡± ¡°Sweet baby¡­ You¡¯re giving me hard choices.¡± ¡°At least you have choices, Gabriel.¡± The car just parked. ¡°Just arrive home. See youter.¡± ¡°Estelle?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Wait for me, and then I will y with my babyter and put her to bed. Is that a good counteroffer?¡± ¡°Good, baby. Love you.¡± I hung up the call. After I cleaned up, I went to see my one-year-old daughter. I was still at the door, and she was already grinning at me, showing those tiny teeth. How could I work and leave her at home? I didn¡¯t know, but my heart and mind were always with her. Sometimes, I brought her to work, and she had a space with a ypen in my office where she could y with Striker and London¡¯s baby boy. Maybe I was doing it for her future. I cooped her up from the carpeted floor, surrounded by her toys. ¡°Hey, my love.¡± I kissed her cheeks and her lips and smelled her neck. ¡°I missed you, my darling.¡± She babbled, her eyes lit up. She got her father¡¯s eyes and her hair. She earned her nose, the shape of her face, and her skin from me. No matter how she looked, my love for her would never be less. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± I cleaned up my breasts before I sat on the recliner and fed her. She sucked well. Her other hand grasped my shirt. ¡°You¡¯re hungry, huh?¡± I knew she was done with her dinner. Later on, it was her time to sleep. Since she was born, she was already breastfed. Linden and I didn¡¯t have to discuss it. He was beyond happy that I decided what was best for our child.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Linden cried for the first time when he had Baby Rae in his arms. My heart melted watching how our daughter instantly became his world. Since then, I had no doubt he would be a great father. I changed Rae to my other breast. A few minutester, she dozed off. I carried her to burp. She just did it right away. ¡°Good girl, baby. I¡¯ll put you down, and I wille backter. I love you.¡± I kissed her forehead before I put her in her crib. *** I checked Linden in our room. He hadn¡¯t arrived it. I went to my bathroom and stripped off my clothes. I prepared the bathtub, filled it with water, and poured a good amount of soap. Then I sank, rested my head, and closed my eyes. I missed wine. It was said that it was safe to drink a small amount of alcohol and at least not to drink before breastfeeding, but I couldn¡¯t take any chances. I inhaled something different, a familiar manly scent. Then I felt a soft kiss on my shoulder. ¡°You put her to bed, and you¡¯re soaking without me.¡± He ran her nose over the column of my shoulder to my neck. ¡°You¡¯rete, Daddy, and you¡¯re in charge of feeding her tonight and diaper changing.¡± ¡°Fine. Now move your fine ass. I¡¯m joining.¡± I chuckled as I moved to give him enough space. When he sunk down and spread his legs apart, I rested my head on his shoulder and looked up at his handsome face. ¡°Touch me.¡± A wicked smirk appeared on his lips before leaning in to kiss my lips. ¡°I would love more than to touch you,¡± he murmured before he moved his hands to my chest. He cupped my breasts and rolled my nipples between his fingers. I gasped and moaned to his lips, allowing him to slide his tongue into my mouth. He freed one hand and slid down to my tummy. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to fill you with mye and have my baby inside you again.¡± I broke the kiss. ¡°You want right now?¡± ¡°Yeah. Why wait? But it¡¯s still up to you.¡± ¡°Then start fucking me.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± He kissed me again. This time, it was savage and urgent. Then he slid his hand between my thighs and inserted two fingers inside me. I bucked my hips into his fingers. I could even feel I was wetter and his hard cock teasing my butt. Groaning, he said, ¡°Baby, let¡¯s fuck in bed.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I was so turned on, but he kind of sounded funny and frustrated at the same time, but we both knew we were desperate toe. We didn¡¯t take ten seconds, we were already in bed, and another five seconds, he was all inside me. ¡°God, baby. You feel so good.¡± He pulled out and sunk into me slowly. I writhed underneath him and moaned as we moved together. We kissed slowly, passionately, and fervently, making me insane. ¡°Baby, faster, please?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m a weaker man, I alreadye right now. You¡¯re fucking hot when you beg.¡± A low growl came from his chest that spiked desires throughout my whole body. He plunged into me without warning as he held me on my hips. He went deeper as he could take. He then thrust faster and deeper, in and out again and again. And he just fucked me as I wished. It didn¡¯t take long, and I was squirming, my inner muscles mping around him. I came so hard, but It didn¡¯t stop him from finishing what he started. ¡°You wille again.¡± He pulled my knees up, angling me just right, pistoned his hips, and fucked me deeper and harder. ¡°Yes.¡± I felt another orgasm building in my core. The throbbing ache intensified again, and he knew exactly what my body could take. And it motivated and encouraged him. He pulled out and mmed in. He did it again and again until I shivered at the friction, the sensation, the throbbing pleasure that was most incredible, and the biggest waves of bliss erupted. It was unexpected- I screamed his name and exploded my climax. ¡°Baby. Estelle,¡± he chanted my name over and over again until he swelled inside me and groaned and shivered as he finally found his release and fell on top of me. Catching my breath, I ran my fingers on his back. ¡°Baby, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Yeah? Tell me.¡± He moved to my side and pulled me closer. ¡°I love you, Estelle. What is it?¡± ¡°Just a minute.¡± Naked, I moved to the side of the bed to take an image from the drawer. ¡°Nice ass.¡± I got a spank on my ass cheek. ¡°Ouch. Fuck you.¡± ¡°I love fucking you, and you know that.¡± He kissed me where he spanked me. ¡°What are you gonna tell me?¡± I gave him the picture instead. There was a frown on his forehead as he stared at the picture of our second baby. Secondster, a smile broke on his face, then turned into a grin and augh- a loud, freeugh. ¡°Shush.¡± I put a finger on my lips, signaling him. ¡°Sorry,¡± he whispered, stillughing silently. His eyes filled with unshed tears. ¡°God, I love you, woman. So Rae is gonna have a baby brother.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so sure it¡¯s a boy, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, but not twins.¡± He looked at the picture of my ultrasound today. ¡°Yeah, about that. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? I¡¯m beyond happy. You made me extremely happy. I can explode like stars right now.¡± He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tight. ¡°Thank you, baby, for making another dreame true.¡± ¡°We did it together, Gabriel.¡± ¡°I know, but you didn¡¯t say no. And thank you for telling me right away. This is such amazing news. I couldn¡¯t wait to tell everyone.¡± He kissed me on the lips. ¡°I love you, Estelle. So fucking much.¡± ¡°I love you, too, Gabriel. I¡¯m d I went to that Ind and met my soulmate there.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!