Chapter 5 - Secrets in the Library
With Damon removed from the estate, a heavy, quiet order returned to the Thorne residence. But for Cora, a new kind of tension began to take root—a subtle, electric awareness that centered entirely around Gabriel Thorne.
Three days after Damon’s exile, Cora was summoned to Gabriel’s private library on the third floor of the mansion.
The library was a grand, dark-paneled room lined with thousands of leather-bound books, illuminated by the warm glow of a roaring fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the misty estate grounds.
When Cora entered, accompanied as always by Nero, Gabriel was sitting at an ornate mahogany desk, reviewing thick financial ledgers. He looked up, his expression softening instantly when his eyes met hers.
"Miss Walsh. Please, sit," Gabriel said, gesturing toward a leather armchair near the hearth.
Nero immediately walked over to the hearth, letting out a long sigh as he curled up on the Persian rug, laying his massive head right beside Gabriel’s leather shoes.
Gabriel looked down at the dog, a faint, rare smile touching his lips. He reached down and idly scratched Nero behind his scarred left ear. Nero closed his eyes in contented bliss.
"He likes you," Cora said softly, sitting down in the chair. "He doesn't usually let men touch his left ear. That's where he was beaten before your father rescued him."
"Animals know who holds the knife, Cora," Gabriel said, looking across at her. "And they know who holds the bandage."
Gabriel closed his ledger and leaned back, his piercing hazel eyes studying her face. "I called you here because we need to discuss your future."
Cora felt a tight knot in her chest. "My future?"
"Damon’s associates in Chicago—the Valenti family—are not pleased that their informant has been removed," Gabriel explained calmly. "They know I have taken full control of the Thorne assets. And they know that you were the key piece that brought Damon’s fraud to light."
"Am I in danger?" Cora asked quietly.
"As long as you are on this estate, you are under my personal protection," Gabriel said, his voice dropping into a tone of absolute, protective possession. "No one touches what is mine."
Cora’s heart skipped a beat at his words—what is mine. She looked down at her hands, feeling a flush of heat creeping up her neck.
"I’ve arranged for a personal security detail to accompany you whenever you leave the estate grounds," Gabriel continued, standing up and walking over to the fireplace, standing beside her chair. "And I have taken the liberty of clearing your mother's remaining medical debts."
Cora gasped, looking up at him in shock. "What? Gabriel... no, that was forty thousand dollars! I can't let you—"
"It is already done," Gabriel said gently, stepping closer. He reached down, his long, warm fingers gently cupping her chin, lifting her face so she had to look into his eyes. "You spent two years suffering in silence, carrying burdens that weren't yours to bear, Cora. Under my roof, you will never carry a burden alone again."
Cora froze, her breath catching in her throat. Up close, Gabriel was overwhelming—the scent of cedarwood, rich tobacco, and expensive bourbon surrounding him, his pale hazel eyes burning with an intensity that made her pulse race violently.
"Why are you doing all this for me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackle of the fire.
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Gabriel’s thumb brushed softly across her bottom lip. "Because two years ago, I watched a girl walk through my gates with holes in her shoes, who cared more about a suffering animal than her own survival. And for two years, I listened to reports of her kindness while I was stuck in Europe surrounded by vultures."
He bent down slightly, his lips hovering inches from hers. "I came back for my empire, Cora. But I stayed for you."
