Chapter 3 - Into the Lion's Den
Moving from the cramped, dusty attic to Room 304 of the West Wing felt like entering an entirely different world. The room was larger than my entire former apartment, complete with a king-sized bed wrapped in Egyptian cotton sheets, a private balcony overlooking the rose gardens, and an en-suite marble bathroom.
When I retrieved my small canvas bag from the attic, Mrs. Chen was waiting at the foot of the service stairs. Her arms were crossed, her face flushed with fury.
"I don't know what lies you spun to Master Gabriel," she spat, her eyes glaring at me with raw hatred. "But do not think this makes you special. You are a servant, Emma. A temporary distraction. When he gets bored of your pathetic victim act, I will personally throw you out into the street."
I stopped at the bottom step. For the first time in months, I didn't drop my head. I didn't apologize. I remembered Gabriel's words—you aren't fragile at all.
"If Master Gabriel wishes to fire me, he will do so himself," I said clearly, looking her dead in the eye. "Until then, excuse me. I have work to do."
Mrs. Chen gasped in outrage, but before she could speak, two of Gabriel’s personal security guards—tall men in tailored black suits—stepped up behind me, silently escorting me toward the West Wing. The power shift was instantaneous, and the shock on Mrs. Chen's face was a bitter, satisfying victory.
My new duties as Gabriel’s assistant began immediately. However, it quickly became apparent that Gabriel had no intention of keeping me hidden away in the mansion.
Two days after my reassignment, Gabriel walked into my new office area—a stylish anteroom attached to his main study—holding a garment bag.
"Put this on," he ordered, laying the bag on my desk. "We have a meeting in forty-five minutes."
I opened the bag to find a stunning emerald-green cocktail dress made of heavy silk, accompanied by a pair of sleek black heels and a box containing delicate diamond earrings.
"Mr. Vance, I can't wear this," I said, bewildered. "This looks like an evening gown for an event."
"It is," Gabriel replied smoothly, checking his platinum wristwatch. "We are attending a private dinner at the Harbor Club. Julian will be there, along with several regional business leaders." He paused, his dark eyes sweeping over me. "And Marcus's primary creditor, a man named Viktor Kozlov, will also be in attendance."
My breath caught in my throat. "Kozlov? The man Marcus owes money to?"
"The very same," Gabriel said, a cold smile touching his lips. "Marcus has been using your name to stall his payments, claiming he has an insider in the Vance estate who will help him pull off a theft to clear his debt."
"I never—!"
"I know you didn't," Gabriel interrupted gently. "Which is why tonight, we set the trap. You are going to walk into that club on my arm. You are going to show Kozlov, and anyone else watching, exactly who you belong to now."
My heart hammered against my ribs. Who you belong to. The phrase echoed in my head, sending a strange, warm shiver through my body.
Thirty minutes later, I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my room. The emerald dress fitted me like a second skin, accentuating my waist while gracefully draping over my collarbone, completely hiding any remnants of my bruised past. My hair was styled in soft waves, falling over one shoulder. For the first time in three years, I didn't look like a battered girl running from her shadows; I looked like a woman who commanded respect.
When I walked down the grand staircase into the main foyer, Gabriel was waiting at the bottom. He was wearing a custom-tailored black tuxedo, looking impeccably handsome and undeniably lethal.
As I reached the final step, he offered me his arm. He paused, his dark eyes scanning me from head to toe, a look of raw, unrestrained admiration flashing across his features before he regained his composure.
"Breath-taking," he murmured softly.
"I feel like an imposter," I admitted, taking his arm. The fabric of his suit was smooth under my touch, but the solid muscle beneath was reassuringly strong.
"An imposter pretends to be something they are not," Gabriel said as he led me toward the sleek black sedan waiting outside. "Tonight, you are not pretending. You are under the protection of the Vance family. Act like it."
The Harbor Club was an exclusive, high-security establishment situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Inside, crystal chandeliers illuminated an opulent room filled with the city's most powerful figures. Men in designer suits and women dripped in diamonds sipped champagne while soft jazz played in the background.
As Gabriel walked into the room with me on his arm, a hush fell over the immediate crowd. Whispers rippled through the room. Gabriel Vance rarely brought dates to public events, and he certainly never brought unknown women.
"Stay close to me," Gabriel whispered, his hand sliding around my waist, his warm palm pressing against the small of my back. The touch was possessive, electric, sending waves of heat through my veins.
Suddenly, a tall, broad man with graying hair and a sharp, scarred face approached us. It was Viktor Kozlov. Beside him stood a familiar, pale figure in a wrinkled suit, looking terrified and sweating profusely.
Marcus.
My body froze instantly. My grip on Gabriel’s arm tightened so hard my knuckles turned white.
Marcus’s eyes widened in absolute shock as he recognized me. "Emma?" he stammered, his voice trembling. "What... what the hell are you doing here? How did you—"
"Shut your mouth, Marcus," Kozlov growled in a deep Russian accent, placing a heavy hand on Marcus’s shoulder before turning to face Gabriel with a polite, albeit tense, smile. "Gabriel. A pleasure to see you. I didn't expect to see you at the Harbor Club tonight."
Gabriel’s expression remained cool and indifferent, though his grip on my waist tightened imperceptibly, drawing me closer against his side.
"Kozlov," Gabriel acknowledged smoothly. "I heard you were attempting to conduct business on my side of the docks."
Kozlov chuckled nervously, his eyes darting toward me. "Just collecting a long-overdue debt from this pathetic piece of trash here," he said, jerking his thumb at Marcus. "Though he claimed he had an associate inside your household... a maid named Emma."
Marcus looked like he was about to faint. "Emma, tell them!" he pleaded desperately, stepping forward. "Tell them you work there! You said you’d get me the money!"
Before Marcus could take another step, Gabriel moved.
May you like
In one swift, lightning-fast motion, Gabriel stepped between Marcus and me, catching Marcus by the throat and slamming him against a marble pillar. The sound echoed through the high-ceilinged room, drawing the attention of every guest in the building.
"Touch her or speak her name again," Gabriel growled, his voice dropped to a sinister, demonic whisper that sent terror through everyone within earshot, "and I will personally ensure your body is never found in the bay."
