Chapter 4 - The Traitor in Silk
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Victoria’s breath caught in her throat. Her face turned as pale as her silk dress. "She’s lying! She’s hallucinating! Gabriel, come up here!" she shrieked toward the open doorway. "This crazy child is making up horrific lies!"
Claire felt a cold shiver run down her spine. The ambush that killed Lily’s mother four months ago... the armored car hit... the gunman with the scar.
"Lily," Claire asked softly, keeping her voice as gentle as possible while holding the child close. "When did you see the white lady give the keys?"
"In the garden," Lily wept, clutching Claire’s neck. "Before the car ride. She gave the bad man the dark box. She said... 'He’s taking Lily to the docks tonight. Kill them both.'"
"Shut up! Shut your mouth, you little brat!" Victoria screamed, stepping forward with her hand raised, her face contorted into a mask of pure fury.
"Touch her, and you won't leave this room alive."
The voice came from the dark doorway.
Gabriel Varrick stood in the entrance. He wasn't wearing his suit jacket. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing heavy forearms, and in his right hand, held casually at his side, was a black steel handgun. Behind him stood six of his top security officers, their faces stone-cold.
Victoria gasped, backing into the nightstand, knocking the silver tray to the floor. The glass of milk shattered on the marble.
"G-Gabriel!" Victoria stammered, her voice trembling as she forced a terrified smile. "Darling, thank God you're here! The child is having a severe panic episode. She’s saying insane things—she’s accusing me of—"
"I heard everything," Gabriel said. His voice wasn't loud. It was a flat, dead whisper that was far more terrifying than a scream.
He didn't look at Victoria. He walked past her, kneeling down beside Claire and Lily. He looked at his daughter, his storm-gray eyes soft with a heartbreak he had hidden from the world for months.
"Lily," Gabriel asked softly, setting the gun on the floor behind him. "Is that true, baby? Is that why you wouldn't eat?"
Lily looked at her father, then buried her face deeper into Claire’s shoulder. "I was scared," she whispered. "The white lady said if I told you... the bad man with the scar would come back and take me away forever."
Gabriel’s jaw clenched so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. He stood up slowly, turning to face Victoria.
"You," Gabriel said, taking one step toward her. "The scar. Salvatore Moretti. The boss of the Brooklyn docks. My rival."
"Gabriel, no! Please!" Victoria wept, dropping to her knees, clutching the hem of his trousers. "She’s four years old! She’s confused! I love you! I’ve been by your side every day since Sarah died!"
"You were by my side because you put the tracker in my car," Gabriel said, pieces of the puzzle falling into place with lethal precision. "You wanted Sarah out of the picture so you could take her place, inherit half my estate, and feed my routes to Moretti."
He looked at his chief of security. "Mark."
"Boss?"
"Check her phone. Check her offshore accounts. Check the apartment in Midtown we bought her brother." Gabriel’s voice was ice. "And call Moretti’s office. Tell him I know about the docks."
May you like
Mark nodded, grabbing Victoria roughly by her arms and pulling her off the floor.
"Gabriel! Please! You can't do this to me!" Victoria shrieked as the guards dragged her out of the room, her luxury silk dress tearing against the doorframe. Her screams echoed down the long hallway until the heavy outer doors slammed shut, plunging the penthouse back into silence.
