Chapter 1 - The Ring on the Table
The velvet box lay on the polished mahogany table between Emma’s new employment contract and the framed security logs accusing her of treason. Inside rested a single emerald-cut diamond, flanked by tapered baguette sapphires, burning under the chandelier light like an ancient mark of ownership.
Derek Shaw’s face drained of color. "Gabriel, you can't be serious. She’s a low-level nanny from an agency I manage. She’s heavily in debt, her family is a financial pit, and she’s under active investigation for corporate espionage."
"She is under my protection," Gabriel said, his voice quiet, cold, and carrying the absolute weight of a king issuing an unappealable decree. He did not look at Derek. He did not look at Victor Rossi, the silver-haired financier whose hand still rested near his leather portfolio.
Gabriel looked only at Emma.
"If you are my employee, they can subpoena your records, freeze your wages, and drag you into police custody to force a confession," Gabriel said, leaning down slightly so his gaze leveled with hers. "If you are my fiancée, any attempt to question you without my consent is treated as a direct assault on the Moretti family."
Emma’s breath hitched in her throat. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. She looked from the ring to Derek, whose jaw was clenching in suppressed fury.
Derek had taken three years of her life, drained her bank accounts for his failed investments, and left her with fifty thousand dollars in medical debt while her mother waited for a critical heart valve surgery. Now, he wanted to send her to prison to hide whatever corruption he was pulling behind the scenes at the agency.
"What about my mother's treatment?" Emma whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the air conditioning.
"Her bills were paid twenty minutes ago," Gabriel replied without hesitation. "Dr. Vance at Columbia Presbyterian has been assigned to her case. She enters surgery on Thursday."
Emma stared at him, tears stinging her eyes. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because my sons cried for two months after their mother died, and you are the first person who made them laugh again," Gabriel said softly. "And because no one framed under my roof goes unpunished."
Gabriel picked up the ring, took Emma’s trembling left hand, and slid the band onto her finger. It fit perfectly.
He turned toward Derek and the two security officers waiting at the door. "Derek Shaw, your agency’s contract with the Moretti estate is terminated immediately. You have five minutes to leave my property before my men escort you out in handcuffs."
Derek stood rigid, his eyes dark with malice. "This isn't over, Moretti. She’s keeping secrets. You’ll find out soon enough."
"Five minutes, Derek," Gabriel repeated softly.
As Derek was escorted out, Victor Rossi stood up, smoothing his tailored suit. "A bold move, Gabriel. But a nanny turned wife will raise questions among the syndicate families. They expect strength, not sentiment."
"They will get blood if they cross my threshold," Gabriel replied, watching Rossi leave.
May you like
When the room cleared, Gabriel turned back to Emma. The coldness in his eyes melted slightly as he reached down, taking her shaking hands into his broad, warm palms.
"The boys are waiting in the garden," Gabriel said. "Let's go tell them you're staying."
