Chapter 4 - The BetrayalThe great hall of the Moretti mansion felt like a tribunal.
Gabriel sat at the head of the long mahogany dining table, his face an impenetrable mask of stone. Standing along the walls were four of his most trusted enforcers, silent and heavily armed. In the center of the room stood Mr. Pierce, the elderly house manager, and Emma.
Emma felt sick. Her lips were still swollen from Gabriel’s kiss, but the man looking at her now was a complete stranger. He was the Don.
"Someone bypassed the firewall on the estate's internal server at 3:00 PM," Gabriel stated coldly, flipping open a laptop on the table. "That allowed the Colombos to jam our frequencies. Only three people had access to the router in the west wing. Myself, Mr. Pierce, and you, Miss Brooks."
"Mr. Moretti," Mr. Pierce stammered, sweat beading on his forehead. "I have served your family for thirty years. I would never betray you."
Gabriel looked at Emma. "Miss Brooks. You logged into the Wi-Fi network in the west wing at 2:45 PM. What were you doing?"
Emma swallowed hard. "I was downloading a children’s movie for the boys on the iPad. I swear to you, Gabriel. I don't know anything about firewalls or security codes."
Matteo stepped forward. "Boss, we searched her room. We found this." He placed a small, black USB drive on the table in front of Gabriel. "It was taped under her mattress. It contains encrypted files matching our security grid."
Emma’s jaw dropped. "That's not mine! I've never seen that before in my life!"
Gabriel stared at the drive. His heart, which had just begun to beat again, turned to lead. His world was built on deception. Beautiful women were often the most dangerous weapons. Could she have been planted by the Colombos? A kindergarten teacher who just happened to find her way into the most guarded home in New York? Who just happened to break his walls down on the very night his enemies struck?
"Gabriel, please," Emma begged, taking a step forward. "You know me. Look at me!"
Gabriel stood up slowly. His eyes were devoid of all emotion. "I know nothing about you, Miss Brooks. I know you manipulated your way into my children's affections. I know you distracted me exactly when I needed to be vigilant."
"That's a lie!" Emma cried, tears streaming down her face. "Someone planted that in my room!"
"Take her to the basement holding cells," Gabriel ordered his men, turning his back on her.
"No! Gabriel!" Emma screamed as two large guards grabbed her arms, dragging her backward. "I love them! I would never hurt the boys! I would never hurt you!"
Gabriel did not turn around as her cries echoed down the hallway and faded into the depths of the mansion. He gripped the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white, his chest in agony.
"Boss," Matteo said quietly. "Do you want me to interrogate her?"
"No," Gabriel rasped. "Don't touch her. Just keep her locked up."
Gabriel stared at the USB drive. He picked it up, plugging it into his laptop. He ran a deep diagnostic on the file origins. As the code scrolled across the screen, a chilling realization washed over him. The metadata didn't trace back to the Colombo family. It traced back to a private offshore account.
An account belonging to his own underboss.
Gabriel slowly looked up at Matteo.
Matteo realized his mistake a second too late. He reached for his gun, but Gabriel was faster. In a blur of motion, Gabriel drew his weapon and fired. The bullet struck Matteo in the shoulder, spinning him around and dropping him to the marble floor.
The other guards instantly drew their weapons, aiming at Matteo.
"You arrogant fool," Gabriel hissed, stepping over to where his oldest friend lay bleeding. "You framed her. You sold out the perimeter to the Colombos so I would be killed, and you could take over the family."
Matteo coughed, clutching his shoulder, laughing a bloody, bitter laugh. "You were weak, Gabriel! Ever since Isabella died, you've been a ghost! And then this nanny shows up, and you go soft! You don't deserve the throne anymore!"
Gabriel’s eyes burned with hellfire. "Where is the Colombo hit squad? The ones who breached the fence. Where did you tell them to go?"
Matteo grinned, his teeth stained red. "I didn't tell them to come for you, Gabriel. I told them to come for the boys."
Gabriel’s blood ran cold.
The safe room.
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"The guards took Emma to the basement," Gabriel realized with mounting horror. "The basement is connected to the safe room ventilation shaft."
Gabriel didn't wait. He sprinted out of the dining room, his gun raised, flying down the grand staircase toward the subterranean levels of the mansion, praying to a God he hadn't spoken to in years that he was not too late.
