Chapter 21 - Whispers in the Dark
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Three weeks passed in a blur of peace and underlying tension.
Harper spent her days helping redesign the family wing of the estate, while Noah was enrolled in a prestigious private academy under Gabriel’s protection. To the outside world, Harper was now the undisputed lady of Beacon Hill.
However, beneath the surface of their new life, an uneasy shadow was beginning to stretch across the city.
Gabriel sat in his underground tactical room at 2:00 AM, staring at three digital monitors displaying maritime radar data. Marcus stood beside him, drinking cold coffee.
"The ship originated from Marseille," Marcus explained, tapping the screen.
"It belongs to the Corsican Syndicate. Specifically, Jean-Luc Moreau."
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed into slit-like marbles.
"Moreau," Gabriel repeated, the name bitter on his tongue.
"My former mentor. He promised twenty years ago never to set foot in North American waters."
"He didn't set foot here," Marcus clarified.
"He sent his men. They’ve been buying up Viktor Vance’s remaining assets in secret. They aren't trying to fight you openly, Gabriel. They’re building a ghost network right under our noses."
The secure phone on the desk chimed with an encrypted text message. Gabriel picked it up, unlocking the screen.
The text contained no words—only an image.
May you like
It was a photograph of the antique platinum engagement ring currently sitting on Harper’s finger, taken through a long-range sniper lens while she had been standing on the terrace earlier that afternoon.
Gabriel’s hand tightened around the phone until the metal frame groaned.
