Chapter 4 - The Shadow of the Past
When Paige stepped out of the private elevator into the penthouse suite, the morning sunlight was streaming brilliantly through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, casting long golden patterns across the polished mahogany floor.
Nico stood waiting by the massive double doors, giving her a brief, almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgment as he pushed them open for her.
Gabriel was standing behind his expansive desk, reviewing a thick stack of physical documents. He looked up as she entered, his sharp slate-gray eyes assessing her appearance with cool precision. The dark circles beneath her eyes were entirely gone, replaced by a vibrant, rested flush that made her striking features stand out even more against the stark corporate background.
“You look like you actually slept,” Gabriel observed, setting the papers down and leaning against the edge of his desk.
“Twelve uninterrupted hours, sir,” Paige replied, keeping her posture professional, though her nerves were beginning to fray at the edges. “You wanted to see me?”
Gabriel walked around the desk, stopping just a few feet away. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a sleek, dark-colored flash drive, holding it out toward her.
“Kevin’s digital footprint has been fully dismantled,” Gabriel said casually, as if discussing the weather. “Our overseas division tracked him down to a resort in Costa Rica late last night. All fraudulent credit lines attached to your social security number have been permanently expunged, and the remaining debt balance has been written off our ledger.”
Paige stared at the flash drive in his hand, overwhelmed by a massive wave of liberation. The invisible chains that had shackled her life for half a year were gone in a single stroke. “I... I don't know how to thank you. How much do I owe Moretti Logistics for the legal clearing?”
“Nothing,” Gabriel said, his voice dropping into a softer, more intense register. “Consider it a retroactive bonus for your exceptional clerical work. However, there is a secondary matter.”
Paige’s guard went up instantly. “What matter?”
Gabriel walked slowly toward the floor-to-ceiling windows, gesturing for her to follow. She stepped up beside him, looking out over the panoramic view of the bustling city below.
“Word travels fast in this building, Paige,” Gabriel said quietly. “Yesterday afternoon, after our encounter in the bullpen, a certain individual in our regional distribution branch—a mid-level manager named Marcus Vance—decided to make inquiries about why an administrative assistant had been summoned to the penthouse and rewarded with a raise.”
Paige’s breath hitched. “Marcus? He’s Kevin’s cousin.”
“Correct,” Gabriel nodded, his jaw tightening slightly. “Marcus believed he could use your newfound proximity to the executive office to dig for corporate intelligence, thinking you might be vulnerable or easily manipulated given your previous association with Kevin.”
A cold shiver ran down Paige’s spine. “Is he still in the building?”
“Marcus was escorted off the premises approximately twenty minutes ago,” Gabriel said smoothly. “Along with a complete audit of his own embezzlement schemes, which he was foolish enough to run through our shipping manifests. By noon, he will be joining his cousin in Costa Rica—though under significantly less pleasant circumstances.”
Paige looked sideways at Gabriel, her mind racing. He had not only protected her from Kevin’s predatory fallout, but he had actively purged the company of anyone connected to the toxicity that had poisoned her life.
“You didn't have to do all of that,” Paige whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
“Everything that happens in my building concerns me, Paige,” Gabriel turned his head, his gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that made it difficult to breathe. “And people who attempt to threaten or manipulate my employees—especially those who handle my dock manifests with such exquisite efficiency—tend to have very short careers.”
The air between them grew thick, charged with an unspoken electricity. Paige found herself unable to look away from his piercing eyes. The terrifying mafia boss who commanded fear across the entire East Coast was standing inches away, treating her not as a pawn, but as someone worth protecting.
Before Paige could formulate a reply, the heavy oak doors of the office burst open without warning.
May you like
Nico stepped through hurriedly, his face grim. “Boss, we have an issue down at the primary distribution dock. The city inspection board just arrived unannounced, backed by federal marshals.”
Gabriel’s expression darkened into an absolute mask of lethal ice in a fraction of a second. The warmth vanished from his eyes, replaced instantly by the ruthless syndicate leader who owned the city.
