Chapter 2 - Bloodlines and Bribes
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The bedroom they locked her in was larger than her entire apartment. It had a king-sized bed, silk sheets, and a panoramic view of the Chicago skyline. But the heavy oak door was locked from the outside.
Madeline paced the plush carpet for hours. It was 4:00 AM. Her legs ached, but adrenaline kept her moving. Why did the ring matter to him? Her mother had been a quiet, sad woman who worked as a seamstress. She never spoke of Chicago, never mentioned anyone named Costello.
Down the hall, in a soundproof office, Gabriel sat in the dark.
Dominic stood by the door, waiting.
"Are you sure it’s the same ring, Gabriel?" Dominic asked quietly.
"I remember the flaw in the emerald," Gabriel muttered, staring at a faded photograph on his desk. It showed a younger Gabriel standing next to a woman with kind eyes. On her hand was the exact same ring. "It was stolen the night my mother was murdered. Twenty years ago."
"Eleanor Harper was a nobody," Dominic said, reading from a tablet. "Lived in the suburbs. Died of cancer five years ago. No criminal record. If she had the ring, she either bought it from a fence, or..."
"Or she was there," Gabriel finished, his jaw clenching. "She was in the house that night."
"What do you want to do with the girl?"
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Gabriel looked up, his eyes hardening into flint. Madeline Harper was a complication. If the rival families found out the ring had resurfaced, it would start a bloodbath. The emerald was a symbol of the Costello syndicate's legacy.
"Keep her isolated," Gabriel ordered. "Buy her clothes. Feed her. But do not let her out of this penthouse. If she tries to run, stop her. If she asks questions, ignore them. I need to know if her brother Nathan stole my money by coincidence, or if this has been a setup from the beginning."
