Chapter 2 - the gala lockdown
The sound of shattering glass broke the spell hovering over the ballroom. Serena Vale took a trembling step forward, her gold gown shimmering under the chandeliers, her polished composure completely crumbling into panic.
"Gabriel, what is this?" Serena demanded, her voice rising in a desperate attempt to regain control. "Who is this woman? You can't honestly believe—"
"Quiet, Serena," Gabriel commanded without turning his head. His voice was low, flat, and carried a terrifying edge that silenced the entire hall.
Gabriel didn't take his eyes off Claire. He slowly dropped to one knee on the marble floor, bringing himself down to eye level with the three little boys. Up close, the resemblance was breathtaking. Ethan possessed Gabriel’s sharp, decisive brow; Noah had his quiet, analytical gaze; and Lucas carried his high cheekbones.
Ethan stepped a half-inch forward, his gold bow tie sitting slightly crooked against his crisp white collar. "Are you Gabriel?"
"I am," Gabriel whispered, a feeling he had never experienced before blooming in his chest. "And you are Ethan."
"Mom has your picture in her nightstand drawer," Ethan explained innocently, pointing back toward Claire. "She looks at it when she thinks we're sleeping."
Claire’s rosy cheeks flushed slightly, but her expression remained guarded and steady.
Gabriel stood up slowly, his broad frame turning toward his chief of security, Marcus, who was already approaching with six armed guards in tailored suits.
"Lock down the floor," Gabriel ordered in a tone that allowed zero discussion. "Clear the press out of the foyer. No one leaves this building until I say so."
Serena gasped, reaching out to touch Gabriel’s arm. "Gabriel! The press is everywhere! If news gets out that you have three secret children with your ex-wife, my modeling contracts... my family's standing—"
"Your standing is the least of my concerns right now, Serena," Gabriel interrupted coldly, brushing her hand off his gray sleeve. He turned back to Claire, his dark eyes searching her face. "We are going to the private lounge upstairs. Right now."
Claire looked down at her three sons, feeling Lucas’s small fingers clutching her champagne gown tightly. "They haven't had dinner, Gabriel. I didn't come here to cause a scene. I came because I received a letter—"
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"A letter?" Gabriel interrupted, his sharp jaw tightening. "What letter?"
Before Claire could answer, Marcus leaned into Gabriel’s ear, whispering urgently. "Boss... we have a problem. The security feed outside the hotel just picked up two unmarked vehicles belonging to the Vance Syndicate. Someone leaked your location tonight... and they know Claire is in the building."
