God.
I forced myself to breathe, but it didn’t help much.
Gabriel didn’t move. He just watched me, his eyes unreadable, his body relaxed-as if he hadn’t just caught me practically devouring him with my gaze. As if he hadn’t noticed my shaky breath.
But somehow, I knew he had.
He gave me that same calm smile again. “You okay?”
My voice came out low, tight. “I’m fine.”
Lie.
I wasn’t fine.
Because for the first time since everything went to hell… I felt something different. Something that wasn’t sadness or anger or fear.
I felt drawn to someone who wasn’t the triplets. And that terrified me.
Gabriel must’ve noticed how I avoided his eyes. Fidgeting, suddenly too aware that we were both completely naked under the open sky.
He tilted his head slightly, a soft smile playing at the corner of his lips. “If you’re uncomfortable,” he said gently, “I could shift back and run to grab some clothes.”
My eyes widened, and the words left my mouth too quickly.
“No!”
His brows lifted in surprise-and then he chuckled. A low, warm sound that sent a little shiver through me.
“I mean…” I cleared my throat, trying to act normal, “It’s fine. We’re wolves, right? Nudity shouldn’t be a big deal.”
Even as I said it, my cheeks warmed.
Gabriel gave a slow nod, the smile never leaving his face. “Right. Just… wanted to you to be comfortable.”
Comfortable. That word lingered in my head.
The triplets never cared much about my comfort. But Gabriel… he noticed. He asked. And the way he smiled after I blurted out no-like he could see right through me, but wasn’t judging-made my chest feel strange. Not in a bad way. Just… unfamiliar.
I looked down at the envelope again, hoping it would help distract me. But my mind kept drifting back to him.
I fixed my gaze on the envelope at his feet, trying to gather myself. “Is that what you wanted to show me?”
Gabriel nodded, stepping forward and crouching down to pick it up. He handed it to me, not looking away.
“You need to see this,” he said gently. “My spies brought it to me a few moments ago.”
My lips parted in surprise. “You’re helping?”
Gabriel nodded. “Yes… I told you, remember?”
“Thank you.” I smiled-offering the best one I could manage.
I took the envelope with trembling hands. His fingers brushed mine, warm and brief. I inhaled sharply and pulled back. But as I opened it, my thoughts weren’t only on what was inside.
They were on him.
Because for the first time in a long time, my heart skipped for someone who wasn’t them.”
Olivia’s POV
“What’s in here?” I asked curiously, breaking the seal on the envelope.
Gabriel gave a small nod. “See for yourself.”
His face remained unreadable, completely blank-giving nothing away.
I furrowed my brows and slowly pulled out the contents. It was a photo.
One glance, and I froze.
It was a picture of my father… with Sir Damon.
They were standing close, heads slightly bowed in conversation. It looked like the photo had been taken without their knowledge.
My heart raced.
This couldn’t be right.
“When… when was this taken?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Was it before was arrested? That was four years ago, but…”
My voice faded as I stared at the photo, my heart racing. my father
My father looked older in this photo. He had a well-groomed, full beard. His black hair was longer now, and there were a few grey strands that hadn’t been there before.
And Sir Damon-he looked exactly as he did now. Not four years younger.
“This… this doesn’t make sense,” I whispered.
My hands shook as I looked up at Gabriel. “What is this? Where did it come from?”
Gabriel stepped closer, his confusion mirroring mine. “I had my spies search Anita’s father’s room. They found it hidden in one of his drawers.”
My mouth opened, but no words came out at first.
This photo-it felt recent. Too recent.
(
But it couldn’t be.
My father was dead. Burled. Gone.
And yet, in this picture… he looked alive. Dressed neatly in a dark coat, posture strong, salert. Not like someone who had been rotting in a grave.
My heart pounded against my ribs.
“What am I seeing?” I whispered, more to myself than to him.
Gabriel stepped closer, sharing my confusion. “I was also confused when I saw this photo.”
I blinked slowly, trying to piece it all together. My throat tightened.
“But my father is dead,” I said again, more firmly this time, as if saying it with enough certainty would make everything make sense.
Gabriel looked at me carefully, the tension in his jaw tightening. “Was he buried?” he asked gently. “Do you know where his grave is?”
I shook my head slowly. “No… I know nothing.” My voice cracked. “We weren’t allowed to see him. Not after the arrest. Not even after his death.” (2
Tears stung the corners of my eyes.
It had been four long years since I last saw him. And now-this. This photo that didn’t look old.
“My men are still digging,” Gabriel said softly. “We need to find out where he was buried-or if he was ever buried at all.”
My lips parted, and before I could stop myself, the question spilled out.
“What if he’s still alive?”
It sounded stupid. Ridiculous. Naive. But the second I saw that photo, it was the first thing I felt. Deep in my chest, beneath the pain and disbelief.
Gabriel didn’t laugh. He didn’t even look surprised.
Instead, he stared at me as if trying to feel what I was feeling.
“I’ll look deeper into it,” he said. “I swear I will.”
The tears broke free, slipping down my cheeks. “But if he’s alive… why wouldn’t he come back to me?” My voice cracked again. “Why wouldn’t he say something? Anything?”
I clutched the photo to my chest like it could hold me together, but I was already falling apart. The tears came harder now, and I turned my face away in shame.
I hated crying.
But Gabriel stepped closer-close enough that I could feel his warmth again. We were still naked, our skin kissed by the fading sunlight and the cold breeze from the leaves.
“I hate seeing you cry,” he said gently. “You don’t deserve this kind of pain, Olivia.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.