Chapter 6 - The Unraveling of the Fortress
Morning light crept slowly across the Hudson Valley, washing the grand estate in pale gold.
Gabriel had not slept. He had spent the remaining hours of the night sitting in his dark study, going through the financial records and security logs of the past month. He realized, with startling clarity, just how incompetent his high-paid security team had been. They prided themselves on keeping threats out, yet they had completely missed a woman walking right through the front door because she had outsmarted their background checks with sheer willpower and a cleverly crafted alias.
More importantly, he realized she was right about everything.
At 7:00 AM, the heavy oak doors of the study opened. Mrs. Higgins walked in, holding a fresh pot of coffee. She paused when she saw Gabriel still sitting at his desk from the night before, surrounded by shadows and empty coffee cups.
"Sir," Mrs. Higgins said cautiously. "The morning briefings are scheduled for nine. And Miss Brooks has prepared breakfast for the boys in the kitchen."
"Cancel the morning briefings," Gabriel said without looking up.
Mrs. Higgins blinked in surprise. "Sir?"
"Cancel them," Gabriel repeated, standing up from his desk. His movements were deliberate, measured, and carried an air of quiet finality. "And call security head Vance. Tell him to report to my office immediately."
Ten minutes later, Mark Vance, the head of Moretti security—a hulking ex-marine with a permanent scowl—stood stiffly in front of Gabriel's desk.
"Boss, you wanted to see me?" Vance asked.
Gabriel didn't speak for a long moment. He simply reached into his drawer, pulled out a thick file, and tossed it across the mahogany desk. It slid across the polished wood and stopped right at Vance's boots.
Vance looked down at the file, then back up at Gabriel. "What's this?"
"That is a complete breakdown of every security vulnerability exploited over the last three weeks," Gabriel said coldly. "Starting with the hiring of Miss Emma Brooks."
Vance’s face paled slightly. "Ah. About that, sir. We ran her through the database. Her credentials checked out. Clean record, top-tier references from Boston—"
"Her name is Emma Vance—no, Emma Brooks," Gabriel corrected himself sharply, his eyes narrowing. "She used a forged history, a ghost academy in Boston, and a shell identity to slip right past your elite screening process. And you didn't catch it."
Vance swallowed hard, his posture rigid. "Sir, I can launch an immediate internal investigation. We can have her detained and removed from the property within the hour—"
"Touch her, and you'll be swimming in the Hudson by noon," Gabriel interrupted, his voice dropping to a chilling, lethal whisper.
Vance froze.
"She stays," Gabriel continued, buttoning up his suit jacket. "In fact, her security clearance is to be upgraded immediately. No one touches her, no one questions her, and if anyone on this estate makes her job harder, they answer to me. Am I understood?"
"L-loud and clear, boss," Vance stammered, grabbing the file and hurrying out of the office as fast as professional dignity allowed.
May you like
Gabriel stood alone in the study for a moment, adjusting his cuffs. Then, for the first time in eighteen months, he didn't head down to the garage to catch an early flight to the city.
He walked toward the kitchen.
