Gabriel's breath caught in his throat. The video clip on the phone played in muted horror—grainy footage of Luca, his once-rival and Aria's ex, shaking hands with a man who shouldn't exist in the world of the living.
His father.
Or the ghost of him.
"Pause it," Gabriel ordered, voice sharp.
The guard stopped the video. Gabriel leaned in, his eyes narrowing.
The man's face was older, more weathered, his once-sharp jaw softened by time—but unmistakably him. The same calculating stare, the same slight tilt of his head when listening.
"But that's impossible," Aria whispered beside him. "You said your father died years ago in a car crash—"
"He did," Gabriel replied. His voice dropped an octave, heavy with disbelief. "Or… he was supposed to."
"Could it be someone who just looks like him?" she asked.
"No. That's him." His heart pounded harder now, and not just because of the discovery. If Luca had been meeting with his father behind his back—what else had they done together?
A second video auto-played. This time, the man—Gabriel's father—was seen entering a nondescript warehouse. Moments later, two guards brought out a briefcase. He opened it, revealing stacks of documents, contracts… photos.
One of them was of Gabriel.
And another—of Aria.
Aria stepped back. "Gabriel, why do they have photos of us?"
"I don't know." He shoved the phone back into the guard's hands. "Get me everything on this location. I want a full sweep. If my father is alive, I want him found."
The guard nodded and left quickly.
Aria stood frozen. Her hands trembled. "What does this mean?"
Gabriel turned toward her. His voice softened, but there was steel beneath it. "It means this goes deeper than you and me. Than Luca. My father… he was involved in things. Dirty things. If he's alive and working with Luca, then there's more at stake than a broken engagement and business shares."
"But why would Luca—?" Aria's voice cracked. "He hated you."
"Exactly," Gabriel muttered. "And if my father's offering him something… something to destroy me…"
He trailed off, staring at the screen. His hands curled into fists.
"We need to go," he said suddenly. "Now."
"Where?"
"To the warehouse. I need to see it for myself."
.....
They drove in silence. The tension thickened with every mile. Aria kept glancing at Gabriel, whose jaw was clenched tight, his knuckles white as he gripped the wheel.
When they arrived, the warehouse looked abandoned—rusted gates, flickering lights, and a faded sign that read "Everson Exports."
"Everson…" Aria whispered. "That was your mother's maiden name, right?"
Gabriel looked at her. "You're right. My father must've renamed this place under her name after he disappeared. Smart—no one would think to look here."
They entered quietly, Gabriel's hand brushing against the gun tucked at his side. Aria stayed close behind.
Inside, they moved through shadows and silence—until voices echoed from the back room.
They crept closer, peeking through a cracked door.
Luca was there.
So was Gabriel's father.
And… Emma.
Aria gasped and stepped back, hand covering her mouth.
"Emma?" she mouthed.
Gabriel pulled her gently away from the door before they were seen.
His voice was low and tight. "We can't confront them now. Not without knowing the full plan."
"But—Emma?" Aria's eyes welled. "She… she was sleeping with Luca. And now this? What are they plotting?"
"Something big," Gabriel muttered. "And we need to stop it."
Before Aria could respond, Gabriel's phone buzzed. A message from Mark: They're planning a board takeover. Tonight. Check your shares.
Gabriel's face went pale. "They're trying to steal the company."
---
Back at the house, chaos unfolded.
Gabriel rushed into his private office and pulled out the safe. Inside: legal documents, share certificates, passwords. Aria watched as he sifted through the files, eyes darting over numbers and clauses.
"They're planning to freeze my assets. If they get the board's vote, they could oust me."
"But how? You still hold majority shares—"
"Not if they manipulate the silent partners. If Luca convinced them I'm unstable, or that I forged the buyout from your side, they could call an emergency vote."
Gabriel paused.
His eyes turned toward her.
"Unless…" he stepped closer. "Unless you publicly back me. If you appear with me at the board meeting, as the original share partner—if you testify that the deal was clean…"
Aria stared at him. "You want me to stand beside you."
"Yes. But only if you want to."
She looked at the documents on the table.
The betrayal she'd suffered. The lies. The fact that Luca, the man she once loved, was capable of everything she'd seen. And Gabriel… the man she barely knew, yet trusted with her heart in ways she couldn't explain.
"I'll do it," she said.
Gabriel's relief was visible, but his face remained focused. "Then we have to move. The meeting starts in two hours."
---
At the boardroom, tension rippled through the air.
Luca was already seated, Emma by his side. A few other executives sat around the long table, whispering among themselves.
The moment Aria walked in—on Gabriel's arm—gasps echoed.
Luca's eyes narrowed. "What is this?"
Gabriel stepped forward. "This is the rightful owner of the shares. And she's here to make a statement."
Aria's voice was clear. "The shares were sold legally. I signed them over with full knowledge. There was no fraud, no pressure. Gabriel has my full support."
A murmur spread around the table.
Luca stood up, jaw tight. "She's emotionally compromised. She was in love with me. Now she's—"
"With a man who respects me," Aria cut in. "Unlike you."
Luca's face turned red.
The chairman raised a hand. "Unless you have legal evidence of misconduct, we have no choice but to uphold the current ownership."
Gabriel leaned closer to Luca. "Game over."
Luca's eyes darkened. "Not yet."
He stormed out.
---
Later, as Gabriel and Aria stepped into the quiet evening, relief slowly settled in.
"We did it," she said softly.
"For now." Gabriel looked at her. "There's still my father. And what he's planning."
Before Aria could respond, a black car screeched to a halt in front of them.
Gabriel shoved her behind him as two masked men jumped out.
One of them pulled a gun.
"Get in. Now."
Aria screamed.
Gabriel lunged forward, tackling the first man—but the second grabbed Aria.
"Gabriel!" she cried as she was dragged into the car.
Gabriel fought fiercely, landing a punch—but it wasn't enough.
The door slammed.
Tires screeched.
Aria was gone.