THE DRIVE TO THE RENTAL HOUSE

I stopped breathing.

If Gabriel finds out... he will kill me.

My mind raced back to the night at my sister’s apartment. Victor—Sloane’s father—had claimed he wanted to destroy Gabriel. He had tried to use Sloane to merge their companies.

But according to this ledger, Victor had already bought Gabriel’s shipping routes illegally through Thomas years ago.

Was Thomas’s car crash really an accident?

Or had Gabriel found out about the betrayal?

I looked down at the sapphire ring on my finger. Gabriel was fiercely protective of his family. But he was also a man who commanded an empire, a man who didn't hesitate to pull a gun on Victor, a man who destroyed anyone who threatened his legacy.

Could the man I loved have ordered the death of his own brother?

“Erin?”

I jumped, shoving the ledger into my pocket and closing the watch.

Gabriel was walking up the stairs, already wearing his tuxedo for the gala. He looked incredibly handsome, but his eyes narrowed when he saw my pale face.

“Are you alright?” he asked, stepping closer.

“I’m fine,” I lied, my heart hammering. I quickly tossed the coat back onto the box. “Just... allergies. The dust from the attic.”

Gabriel looked at the box, then at the silver pocket watch clenched in my hand.

He went perfectly still.

“Where did you find that?” he asked, his voice dropping an octave.

“In Thomas’s coat,” I said, unable to hide the tremble in my voice.

Gabriel held out his hand. “Give it to me, Erin.”

I didn’t move. I looked into his dark eyes, searching for the monster the ledger painted him to be.

“Gabriel... how did Thomas really die?” I asked.

He didn’t answer immediately. The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy.

“He died in a car crash,” Gabriel finally said.

“I found the ledger,” I whispered. “Inside the watch. I know he sold the routes to Victor. I know he was terrified of you finding out.”

Gabriel closed his eyes. A muscle in his jaw twitched.

“Give me the ledger,” he said softly.

“Did you kill him, Gabriel?” I asked, tears springing to my eyes. If he had, I had to pack my things. I had to take Leo and run. I couldn't build a life on fratricide.

Gabriel opened his eyes. They were filled with an immense, suffocating sorrow.

He reached out, bypassing the watch in my hand, and gently took my face in his palms.

“Thomas didn’t die in a car crash, Erin,” Gabriel whispered. “He killed himself.”

I gasped.

“He sold the routes to Victor to pay off gambling debts,” Gabriel continued, his thumbs stroking my cheeks. “Victor blackmailed him. Threatened to expose him to the commission. Thomas couldn't handle the shame of betraying our family. He drove his car into the reservoir at 11:42 PM.”

Gabriel looked down at the broken watch in my hand.

“The police gave me his effects. I hid the true cause of death to protect Lauren from the scandal, and to protect Thomas’s memory. I’ve spent five years trying to buy back the routes he lost to Victor.”

The terror in my chest evaporated, replaced by a crushing wave of empathy. Gabriel hadn't killed his brother; he had carried the weight of his brother’s sins to protect the family name.

I threw my arms around his neck, burying my face in his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry,” I cried. “I shouldn’t have doubted you.”

Gabriel held me tightly. “You had a right to ask. In my world, monsters are real. But I promise you, Erin, I will never be one to you.”

He pulled back and kissed my forehead.