Gabriel’s POV I should let her rest. I should let myself rest. But I didn’t. Instead, I reached for her. My fingers traced the bare skin of her hip, slow and deliberate, making her shiver. She didn’t say anything or pull away, but she didn’t turn to face me either. I smirked against the back of her neck. “Ignoring me already, sweetheart?” She let out a soft breath, her shoulders rising and falling, before I finally heard her shaky deep sigh. She tried to muffle the sounds, but I already heard it. She was crying. I turned her over, brows furrowed, demanding, “Tell me what’s wrong.” I didn’t like this. Not knowing what was going through her head, not knowing if I’d just ruined her. I wasn’t gentle. I knew that. And she was new to this and to me. “Did I hurt you?” My grip tightened slightly, fingers flexing against her bare skin. She said no and then I asked again. “Are you regretting this?” Another shake of her head, this time faster, more desperate. “I don’t know,” she whi
Aria’s POV The first thing I became aware of was warmth. The sheets were soft, the air cool against my skin, but it was the lingering heat on the pillow beside me that made my heart clench. My fingers brushed over the space where Gabriel had been, but it was empty now, and cold. How long had I been asleep? The last thing I remembered was his arms around me, his body against mine, the deep rumble of his voice before I drifted off. Now, he was gone. Something in my chest tightened. But then my eyes caught on a folded piece of paper sitting on the pillow where his head had been. I pushed myself up, sore in a way that made my face heat, and reached for it. Aria, Didn’t want to wake you. You needed the rest. I had to step out for a while, but I’ll be back. Text or call me when you’re up. If you need anything, there are guards outside. But you’re safe here. Sleep a little longer. Eat something. And if you miss me… just know I miss you more. —G I stared at the
Gabriel’s POV Something wasn’t right. I felt it before I even checked my phone. I pulled it out, expecting to see a message from her. A missed call. Something. I’d told her to text me when she woke up. Hours had passed. Nothing. A sharp feeling settled in my chest. Aria wasn’t the type to ignore me, not after the morning we had. And even if she was upset or hesitant, she would’ve sent something. A short text. A one-word response. But my phone was empty. I was about to call her when another call came in. It was Jonathan. I picked up immediately. “Boss,” his voice was sharp, urgent. Too urgent. “We have a problem.” Everything inside me went still. “Talk.” “It’s Aria. She’s… fuck… she’s unconscious.” The world around me disappeared. “What?” My voice was dangerously quiet. “She’s not breathing,” Jonathan rushed out. “We—Boss, we can’t find the guy. The guards are saying he’s gone, and she’s on the floor—she’s not waking up, man.” For a second, I couldn’t hear anything past t
Gabriel’s POVThe second the doctor stepped inside, I was on him. “Fix her.” The words came out like a threat. Because they were. He barely had time to kneel beside her before I was crouching next to him, watching his every fucking move. His hands pressed against her throat, checking her pulse. He peeled back her eyelids, his face unreadable. The stethoscope came next. Each second that passed felt like a blade against my throat. “Why the fuck isn’t she waking up?” My voice was sharp. Too sharp. But I didn’t give a damn. The doctor looked at me. “She’s alive, but her condition is critical.” I held onto that word. Alive. Barely. “She needs proper medical equipment. A hospital.” “No.” The word was automatic. Final. A hospital meant attention. Questions. Cameras. I wasn’t about to let the entire fucking world speculate over Aria’s unconscious body. The doctor didn’t look surprised. “If she doesn’t get professional care, she might not make it.” I stilled. The air in the room chan
Gabriel’s POV The morning of the fifth day felt like suffocating under water. I hadn’t slept. I couldn’t. The world outside this hospital kept moving, but mine had been stuck in a single moment—the second I found her, broken and bleeding, barely breathing. Every passing hour felt like a noose tightening around my throat. Every breath she took was a battle, and I was losing my fucking mind waiting for her to wake up. By now, I’d memorized every inch of this fucking room. The doctors had started to dance around their words. Their tones softer, measured. Like they were preparing me for something I refused to hear. “We should begin discussing long-term care options…” I lifted my head, the words cutting through the haze of exhaustion. Long-term care. Something inside me snapped. I stood so slowly it was almost deliberate. “What did you just say?” The doctor hesitated. “Mr. Deveraux, I only meant—” “What. Did. You. Just. Say?” I could see it now—the way his throat bobbed, the wa
Aria’s POV It had been weeks since the hospital. Weeks since I opened my eyes to find Gabriel staring at me like he had been holding his breath for days. Since then, everything had changed. He had been there for me—every single day. I didn’t have to ask. I didn’t have to reach for him. He was just there. Always watching, always making sure I was okay. I had never seen this side of him before. Not like this. At first, I thought maybe it was just guilt. Maybe he felt responsible for what had happened. But guilt didn’t explain the way he looked at me now. Or how he touched me—soft, careful, like I was something fragile. Something his. We had gone back to the office a few times, but mostly, we worked from home. It felt… intimate. The space we shared, the moments in between. He made sure I ate. He made sure I rested. He made sure I knew—without saying a single word—that I wasn’t alone. And somehow, somewhere between all of it, I fell in love with him. I wasn’t even sure when it happe
Aria’s POV I wasn’t going to make this easy for him. Gabriel thought he had me right where he wanted—pinned to his lap, his hands gripping my hips like he owned me. Like all he had to do was murmur something in that dark, knowing voice, and I’d fold. Not happening. I tilted my chin up, meeting his gaze head-on. “Since I’m already here?” I echoed, my voice light, teasing. “And what exactly do you think I can’t handle?” His lips curved, slow and dangerous, like he saw straight through me. “Would you like a demonstration?” I scoffed, shifting slightly—a mistake. His hands flexed, fingers digging into my waist just enough to make my breath hitch. I knew what he was doing. He wanted me to react. He wanted proof that he was getting to me. I refused to give him that. Instead, I leaned in—too close, too deliberate. My fingers found the collar of his shirt, tracing the crisp edge, barely skimming his skin. He tensed, just slightly, and I smiled. “Oh, I don’t need a demonstrat
Gabriel’s POV Her breathing was still uneven, her body still warm beneath mine, the aftermath of what we’d just done lingering in the air like a secret. I should’ve moved first. I should’ve given her space—helped her straighten up, helped her fix herself. But I didn’t. I stayed. My hands flattened against the desk on either side of her, caging her in even though the moment was already over. My chest was still pressed against her back, my heartbeat still heavy against her skin. I wanted to stay inside her. Hell, I wanted to ruin her for the rest of the day. But I felt her shift, her breath steadying, the way her fingers slowly reached for the fabric of her dress, pulling it down to cover herself. It was the only signal I needed. Reluctantly, I pulled back. Just enough. Just to let her stand, to give her room to fix her dress properly, to smooth down her hair. And then, as she straightened, I saw it. The way her brows knit together for a fraction of a second. The hesitation.
Gabriel's POVI didn’t say a word as the jet took off. The conversation with my father sat heavily in my mind, but I forced it aside. For now.I leaned back in my seat, exhaling slowly. The cabin lights were dim, casting a muted glow over the polished wood and leather. The hum of the engines was steady, almost soothing.Then, almost instinctively, I reached into my pocket.The familiar weight of the pocket watch pressed against my palm, cool and solid. I flicked it open with my thumb. The soft click echoed louder than it should have in the silence.And there she was, her pretty face staring back at me. My Ari, my angel. The picture was taken in our bedroom, a moment I’d stolen when she had no idea. She was in her natural state, completely unaware of the camera in my hand. Her hair was a little wild from sleep, and her eyes had that soft, distant look that made her so damn beautiful. It was a simple shot, but I loved it, because it was her, in the most authentic and unguarded way. I ha
Gabriel's POVThe silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. The air in my father's living room felt heavier than before, like the walls had closed in around us.I forced myself to breathe. To stay still. To absorb what I had just heard.Diego was family.I sat down, my body moving before my mind could fully catch up. “Explain,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me.Andrew didn’t speak immediately. He reached for the bottle of whiskey on the table, poured himself another glass, and stared into the amber liquid like it held the past itself. “You think you know the Deveraux family,” he said. “But you don’t. Not really.”I said nothing.He let out a slow breath. “This goes back to Richard,” he began. “My father. Your grandfather.”I knew that name well. The man who built the Deveraux empire. The man everyone claimed was ruthless, brilliant, untouchable.Andrew continued, “Richard had an affair while on a business trip to Mexico. A woman, who wasn’t just some mist
Gabriel's POVTCA wasn’t new to me. I had trained here for years, stepping into the ring whenever I needed an outlet. Back then, it was about control, about reminding myself that power wasn’t just about wealth or influence, it was about knowing I could end a fight before it even started.But now, it wasn’t about control.It was about survival.I adjusted my stance, muscles coiled with tension as Cole, my personal trainer, circled me. His gaze was sharp, unreadable, assessing, calculating. There was no sympathy in his eyes, no wasted words. Just the demand for perfection."You’re too slow," he said flatly. "Again."TCA wasn’t a regular gym. It was where professionals trained; fighters, bodyguards, men who understood that losing wasn’t an option.There were no influencers shadowboxing in front of mirrors, no weekend warriors pretending to be something they weren’t. This was a place for men who needed to be ready for war.I wasn’t new to combat, but this wasn’t about street fights or bru
Gabriel’s POVDominic’s update came in like clockwork.Aria had taken the promotion. No hesitation. No second-guessing. She thought it was luck. The right place, the right time, the perfect opportunity falling into her hands. And why wouldn’t she? That was the world I wanted her to live in. A world where doors opened for her effortlessly, where she could step into the future she deserved without ever knowing whose hands had cleared the path.Her brother’s scholarship had come through. Full ride. Mentorship, books, everything covered. Another twist of fate in her mind. Another reason to believe life had finally started working in her favor.I leaned back, exhaling slowly. She was happy. She was thriving. And for now, she was safe.I should have been satisfied. I should have let it be enough. But it wasn’t. It never would be. I still wasn’t breathing right.Because I wasn’t there. Because I wasn’t the one she was coming home to at the end of the day, the one she was smiling at when she
Aria's POVThe walk to work was peaceful, the kind of morning that made me grateful for this change. The air was crisp, the streets quieter than what I was used to, and for once, I didn’t feel like I was constantly racing against something I couldn’t see.Lennox & Co. Publishing was not the biggest publishing house in the country, but it was reputable, respected. It had an impressive catalog of bestsellers, a growing influence in the industry, and most importantly, a work culture that wasn’t suffocating. Here, creativity thrived. Ideas were encouraged, not dismissed. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was in a space where I could breathe.As I pushed through the glass doors, the familiar hum of morning activity greeted me. The scent of coffee lingered in the air, blending with the faint aroma of paper and ink. Editors and assistants moved around with purpose, some already deep in conversations about manuscripts and market trends.I had barely settled at my desk when I h
GABRIEL’S POVLetting her go was supposed to protect her. That was the only reason I did it. I told myself that if I walked away, if I created enough distance, she would be safe. But it had been two months, and I was lying to myself if I thought I had ever truly let her go.I wasn’t there with her. I wasn’t beside her when she woke up or when she fell asleep, but I still knew everything. Where she lived. Where she worked. Who she spoke to. What time she left her apartment in the morning. What time she returned. The smallest details of her life reached me because I made sure they did.It wasn’t about control. It was about protection.Aria thought she had a fresh start. A new city. A new job. A life away from me.But there was no such thing as away when it came to her.I knew everything.I knew she had gone back to Colorado, back to the only family she had left. I knew she lived in a small apartment a few blocks from her workplace, in a neighborhood that was safe but not safe enough for
Aria’s POVIt had been exactly two months since that night.Two months since I had gasped for breath, my body thrashing against the weight of water pulling me under. Since my lungs burned, my chest clenched, my limbs flailed uselessly in the cold grip of the pool. I had never learned how to swim. The moment I hit the water, panic took over, swallowing every rational thought. I could still remember the way my pulse had hammered in my ears, the desperate way I had kicked and clawed at nothing, the helplessness of realizing I couldn’t save myself.Then hands. Strong, steady hands cutting through the water, pulling me up, dragging me toward the surface. Air rushed into my lungs in sharp, painful gulps the moment I broke free from the depths. I had coughed, sputtering, gripping onto the stranger who had saved me as if my life depended on it because it had. I never got his name. Never saw his face clearly through the haze of fear and chlorine-stung eyes. By the time my friends arrived, brea
Aria’s POVTime blurred in Nicole’s apartment. Days and nights folded into each other, indistinguishable. I wasn’t counting them. I barely acknowledged their passing. I simply moved through them, existing in a cycle of forced normalcy.Wake up.Eat when they made me.Sleep when exhaustion became heavier than the ache in my chest.Repeat.The world outside moved on without me. But in here, in the warm cocoon of Nicole’s home, I was frozen in place.I didn’t cry. Not in front of them. Not when Liv cracked jokes that were funnier in her head than out loud. Not when Jenna threw on ridiculous reality shows, hoping for an eye roll or even a scoff from me. Not even when Nicole who was always effortlessly put together, sat cross-legged on the floor in sweats, painting my nails in silence because she knew words wouldn’t fix this.They didn’t let me sink completely.They hovered, filling the space around me with warmth, chatter, and relentless attempts to pull me back into the world.And tonigh
Gabriel's POVMorning comes like a slow, merciless execution.The sheets beside me are cold. The space where she had once been—where her warmth had lingered hours ago—is empty now. I stare at it for too long, my body still, my mind awake but unwilling to move. Maybe if I stay like this, if I don’t breathe too deep, the weight in my chest won’t crush me whole.But reality isn’t kind. It never is.Aria is gone.The realization is a sharp, unforgiving blade. I told myself last night that this was necessary, that this was the only way. I had made my choice. And yet, the silence she left behind feels like a living thing, curling around me, digging its claws in.I exhale through my nose, forcing my body upright. The world will talk. The media will speculate. That’s the least of my concerns.Because as long as Aria is still my wife, she’ll never stop being a target.I knew this the moment I saw the tattoo on the man who tried to take her. The same tattoo Antonia had. The same one I’d seen be