Chapter 2 - Shadows of the Moretti Legacy
By nightfall, Emma had been moved from the staff quarter on the ground floor to the primary suite in the east wing of the estate. The room was grand, draped in navy silk and dark mahogany, with French doors opening onto a balcony overlooking the Hudson River.
Down the hallway, the triplets—Leo, Toby, and Julian—were fast asleep. After hearing that Emma wasn't leaving, the four-year-olds had insisted on building a fort in the living room out of couch cushions, falling asleep in a pile of blankets with smiles on their faces.
Emma sat at the vanity, staring at the diamond ring glittering on her finger. The door opened softly, and Gabriel walked in, wearing an unbuttoned dark shirt, his jacket discarded.
"They're sleeping soundly," Gabriel said, standing behind her, his reflection meeting hers in the mirror. "They haven't slept through the night like this since Elena passed."
Emma turned in her chair. "Gabriel... we need to talk about what happened in the archive room. Someone used my access card. The timestamp was 2:15 PM yesterday."
"At 2:15 PM yesterday, you were in the kitchen making miniature pancakes while Leo was crying because Toby stole his blue crayon," Gabriel said, a faint smile touching his lips. "I know where you were, Emma."
"Who wanted those records?" Emma asked quietly. "What is inside that room?"
Gabriel’s expression hardened. He walked over to the balcony doors, staring out into the dark grounds.
"Three years ago, my wife Elena died in a car crash off Route 9," Gabriel explained, his voice low and haunted. "The police ruled it a brake failure. But six months ago, I uncovered evidence that the telemetry data was wiped from the manufacturer's server forty-eight hours before the crash."
Emma gasped softly. "She was murdered."
"Someone inside my inner circle coordinated it," Gabriel said, turning to face her. "The archive contains the encrypted hard drives from her car and the financial ledgers of everyone who had access to her schedule that week. Whoever framed you wanted me to think you were working for a rival family so I would fire you and cover up their tracks."
"Derek," Emma realized aloud. "Derek was asking me strange questions about your private office when I first got this job."
"Derek is just a pawn," Gabriel said, stepping closer. "He doesn't have the intelligence or the power to breach my internal network. Someone higher up paid him to place you here."
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Gabriel reached out, his thumb gently brushing a strand of hair behind Emma’s ear. His touch was warm, sending a quiet shiver through her chest.
"You are safe here, Emma," he murmured. "I give you my word as a Moretti."
