Chapter 3 - The Sanctuary of Vance
The black armored SUV glided silently through the iron gates of the Vance estate on the outskirts of the city.
Inside the quiet cabin, Sadie sat wrapped in Gabriel’s heavy wool overcoat. Gabriel held her hand in his lap, his thumb idly tracing the polished band on her ring finger. He hadn't let go of her hand once since they left the mall.
“You didn’t tell me you were coming to the mall,” Gabriel said softly, his voice breaking the calm silence.
Sadie looked down at her lap. In her left hand, she clutched the small velvet box containing the silver cuff links she had purchased before Trevor stormed into the boutique.
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” she admitted, her cheeks warming slightly. “It’s your birthday next week. I wanted to buy you something with the money from my new design studio. My own money.”
Gabriel’s eyes softened completely. He took the velvet box from her hands, opened it, and looked at the simple, beautifully crafted silver cuff links inside. They were elegant, restrained, and perfect.
“They’re the finest thing I own,” Gabriel said without a moment of hesitation. He placed the box in his inner pocket, then reached over to gently cup her face. “But you shouldn't have been alone, Sadie. Not in public.”
“I’m not a hostage, Gabriel,” she reminded him gently. “I wanted to do something normal. I didn't expect Trevor to be there.”
“Trevor is a parasite,” Gabriel said, his voice dipping into that dangerous register again. “He saw a woman he thought he could intimidate because he remembered you when you were vulnerable. He didn't realize who was standing behind you.”
The SUV pulled up to the front entrance of the mansion. Moments later, Gabriel carried Sadie through the grand foyer, ignoring her protests that she could walk. He carried her up the broad spiral staircase into their private master suite, placing her gently on the edge of the plush king-sized bed.
He retrieved the first-aid kit from the bathroom, kneeling between her knees just as he had on the store floor.
With extreme care, he cleaned the scrape on her knee, applying antiseptic ointment and a soft bandage. Sadie watched his broad shoulders, his dark hair falling forward, his large hands moving with incredible delicacy.
This was the man the city feared. The man accused of tearing down rival syndicates and controlling whole corridors of trade. Yet with her, he was a sanctuary.
“When I was living in my car,” Sadie whispered softly, looking at the floorboards, “there were nights I thought I would freeze. I used to keep the engine running for ten minutes every two hours just to keep my toes warm. I thought... I thought that was all my life was ever going to be.”
Gabriel stopped moving. He rested his forehead against her uninjured knee, his fingers tightening around her ankle.
“I know,” Gabriel choked out softly. “The day I found you at that diner, working twelve-hour shifts with fever in your eyes... I wanted to burn the city down to find the man who hurt you. But you told me you wanted to stand on your own feet first.”
“And I did,” Sadie said, lifting his chin so he had to look at her. “I built my business. I earned my life back. But Gabriel... seeing him today... for a second, I felt small again.”
“You are not small,” Gabriel said fiercely, standing up and framing her face in both hands. “You are the strongest woman I have ever known. Trevor Evans is a ghost, Sadie. And tonight, I’m going to make sure that ghost never haunts you again.”
Meanwhile, across town in a penthouse overlooking the river, Trevor Evans was pacing frantically across his living room floor.
His phone had been ringing nonstop for forty minutes.
His mother had called, sobbing that her credit cards had been declined at the supermarket. His bank had sent an automated alert freezing his personal and corporate accounts pending an emergency investigation.
And then the front door slammed open.
Chloe Whitmore walked in, followed by two heavy-set men carrying empty luggage boxes.
“Chloe!” Trevor rushed toward her, his face red with desperation. “Baby, listen to me! That guy was lying! He’s just some mobster trying to scare us—"
SLAP.
The crack of Chloe’s hand across Trevor’s face echoed through the apartment.
“You complete idiot!” Chloe screamed, her eyes red with tears of rage. “My father just got off the phone with the board of directors! Vance Global terminated our supply chain contracts ten minutes ago! Our stock dropped twelve percent before the after-hours market closed!”
Trevor staggered back, clutching his cheek. “Chloe, please, we can talk to your dad—”
“My dad told me to tell you that if you step foot on Whitmore property tomorrow morning, security will throw you into the street,” Chloe spat, her voice cold and merciless. “You lied to me, Trevor. You told me you left your ex because she was crazy. You didn't tell me she was married to Gabriel Vance!”
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“I didn't know!” Trevor yelled desperately. “She was broke! She was nobody!”
“Well, she’s somebody now,” Chloe hissed, signaling the men to pack her things. “And you are worse than nobody. You’re ruined.”
