Chapter 1 - The Emerald Revelation
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Gabriel Costello’s eyes remained locked on the oxidized rose gold band, his chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths. The terrifying mafia boss who had just threatened her life now looked like a man who had seen a ghost.
Madeline kept her hands raised, trembling as the spilled bourbon dripped from the mahogany desk onto the Persian rug.
"I asked you a question," Gabriel said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, gravelly whisper. "Where did you get that ring?"
"It’s mine," Madeline stammered, stepping back until her spine hit the floor-to-ceiling glass window.
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not!" She clutched her left hand to her chest, shielding the emerald. "It was my mother's. She left it to me when she died."
Gabriel closed his eyes for a fraction of a second. When he opened them, the storm-gray irises were completely unreadable. He reached into his tailored suit jacket, pulled out a white linen handkerchief, and slowly wiped the bourbon from his hand.
"What was your mother’s name?" he asked softly.
"Eleanor. Eleanor Harper."
Gabriel tossed the ruined handkerchief onto the desk. He didn't say a word. He just stared at her, analyzing every curve of her face, the shape of her jaw, the stubborn fire in her exhausted eyes.
"Dominic," Gabriel called out.
The heavy doors opened instantly. The scarred enforcer stepped inside, taking in the shattered glass and Madeline’s terrified posture.
"Cancel the tracker on Nathan Harper," Gabriel ordered, never breaking eye contact with Madeline. "And clear the east wing of the penthouse."
Dominic blinked, a rare show of surprise. "Boss?"
"Miss Harper is staying with us."
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Madeline’s heart stopped. "What? No! You can't just keep me here!"
"Your debt is suspended," Gabriel said coldly, turning his back to her and pouring a fresh glass of whiskey. "But until I verify exactly who your mother was, you belong to me."
