Chapter 4- The Truth Between Them
1805 Words
CHAPTER four
The Truth Between Them
The ballroom fell silent as Victoria Hayes disappeared through the grand entrance, leaving behind a room filled with whispers.
Aria stood frozen, the old photograph trembling slightly in her hand.
In it, Gabriel looked different.
His smile was genuine.
His eyes held warmth she had never seen before.
She slowly turned to face him.
“Is this real?”
Gabriel looked at the photograph before answering.
“Yes.”
The honesty in his voice only made the silence heavier.
“You were engaged.”
“Yes.”
“And you never thought to tell me?”
“Our relationship is based on a contract, Aria. We agreed not to interfere in each other’s past.”
She folded her arms.
“There’s a difference between having a past and having a fiancée who suddenly appears at a charity gala.”
Around them, guests pretended not to watch, though every curious glance lingered.
Gabriel took a slow breath.
“This isn’t the place.”
“No,” Aria replied quietly. “It isn’t.”
He gently guided her toward a private exit, and together they left the ballroom under the relentless flash of cameras.
⸻
The drive back to Nightingale Manor was painfully quiet.
Rain tapped softly against the car windows.
Neither of them spoke.
When they arrived, Aria walked straight into the library without waiting for Gabriel.
She stood by the fireplace, staring into the flames.
A few moments later, Gabriel entered.
“I owe you an explanation.”
She didn’t turn around.
“I’m listening.”
He remained standing, hands in his pockets.
“Victoria and I met nearly eight years ago.”
His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable weight behind every word.
“Our families were close. A marriage between us would have united two powerful companies.”
“So it was arranged?”
“In the beginning.”
Aria finally looked at him.
“And later?”
Gabriel hesitated.
“I believed I loved her.”
The words hung in the air.
“What happened?”
He looked toward the fire.
“Six weeks before the wedding, I discovered she had been leaking confidential company information to one of our competitors.”
Aria’s eyes widened.
“Why?”
“Money.”
His expression hardened.
“And revenge.”
“Revenge for what?”
“I was too focused on work. She believed I cared more about the company than about her.”
“Were you?”
Gabriel didn’t answer immediately.
Finally, he nodded.
“Yes.”
The admission surprised even him.
“I built walls around myself after that.”
Aria softened.
“So this contract…”
“…was never about replacing Victoria.”
He met her gaze.
“It was about making sure I never made the same mistake again.”
⸻
The next morning, Aria found herself thinking about Gabriel differently.
For the first time, she understood that the cold, distant billionaire wasn’t heartless.
He was simply afraid.
Afraid to trust.
Afraid to lose.
Afraid to hope.
As she walked into the kitchen, she found Gabriel attempting to make coffee.
Attempting.
The machine hissed loudly before spraying coffee onto the counter.
Aria couldn’t help laughing.
He looked over his shoulder.
“I assume you find this amusing.”
“A little.”
“I’ve negotiated billion-dollar acquisitions.”
“And yet you’ve been defeated by a coffee machine.”
A reluctant smile appeared on his face.
“I suppose I have.”
“Move.”
She stepped beside him and quickly prepared two cups.
He watched her with quiet curiosity.
“You make it look easy.”
“Practice.”
She handed him a mug.
“Here.”
He took a careful sip.
“This is considerably better.”
“I’ll accept that as a compliment.”
“It was.”
For a brief moment, they simply stood there, sharing coffee in comfortable silence.
It felt… normal.
Almost like a real marriage.
⸻
Later that afternoon, Aria returned to her fashion studio for the first time since signing the contract.
Thanks to Gabriel’s investment, the space had been transformed.
New sewing machines lined the walls.
Fresh fabrics filled the shelves.
Her employees were smiling again.
Sophie rushed over and hugged her tightly.
“I can’t believe this place!”
Aria smiled.
“It’s beautiful.”
“You did it.”
“No,” Aria said softly.
“We did.”
As she looked around the studio, she realized her dream had been given a second chance.
She silently promised herself she would never waste it.
⸻
That evening, Gabriel received another anonymous envelope.
Inside was a single photograph.
It showed him and Aria leaving the charity gala.
Across the picture, someone had written three words in red ink.
She’ll leave too.
His expression darkened.
Whoever was behind these messages wasn’t interested in money.
They wanted fear.
And they wanted Gabriel to believe that everyone he cared about would eventually walk away.
For the first time in years, he locked the doors to his office before sitting alone in the dark.
He wasn’t afraid for himself.
He was afraid that Aria had unknowingly become part of a dangerous game.
And if he wasn’t careful…
The contract that had started as a business arrangement might end by putting the woman he was beginning to care about in real danger.
Aria woke before sunrise.
For the first time since moving into Nightingale Manor, the silence didn’t feel intimidating. She slipped into a light sweater and wandered into the gardens, where the morning dew still clung to the roses.
She breathed deeply.
This was the first peaceful moment she had experienced in weeks.
“You’re awake early.”
She turned to find Gabriel walking toward her, dressed in dark athletic clothes. His hair was slightly messy, making him look younger and far less intimidating than the polished CEO the world knew.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Aria admitted.
“Neither could I.”
They began walking along the stone path together.
“I didn’t know you liked gardens,” Gabriel said.
“I grew up helping my grandmother care for hers.”
“You’ve never mentioned your family.”
She smiled sadly.
“My parents died when I was sixteen. After that, my grandmother raised me. She taught me to sew and believed I could become a designer long before I believed it myself.”
Gabriel listened quietly.
“And your grandmother?”
“She passed away two years before I opened my studio.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It still hurts.”
For the first time, Gabriel reached out without thinking and gently squeezed her hand.
“I’m sure she’d be proud of you.”
Aria looked at him in surprise.
His hand remained around hers for only a moment before he realized what he had done and stepped back.
“Forgive me.”
“You don’t have to apologize.”
Neither of them mentioned it again.
But neither forgot it.
Later that morning, Gabriel’s head of security, Daniel Ross, arrived unexpectedly.
“We have a problem.”
Gabriel’s expression became serious.
“In my office.”
Aria watched them disappear down the hallway.
Something about Daniel’s face unsettled her.
Inside the office, Daniel placed several photographs on the desk.
“They were taken yesterday.”
Gabriel examined them.
Each picture showed Aria.
Leaving her studio.
Getting into her car.
Walking through the city.
Someone had been following her.
“For how long?” Gabriel asked.
“At least four days.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened.
“Do we know who?”
Daniel shook his head.
“The investigator believes whoever it is knows how to avoid surveillance.”
Gabriel stared silently at the photographs.
“This ends today.”
That afternoon, Aria insisted on returning to the studio despite Gabriel’s objections.
“I can’t stop living my life.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
“You practically are.”
“I’m asking you to be careful.”
She crossed her arms.
“I’ve looked after myself for years.”
“And now someone is watching you.”
She frowned.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Gabriel hesitated.
Then he handed her one of the surveillance photographs.
Color drained from her face.
“This was taken yesterday?”
He nodded.
“You’ve been followed.”
Her heartbeat quickened.
“Because of you?”
“I don’t know.”
She looked at him.
“You do know.”
Gabriel sighed.
“I have enemies, Aria. Successful people usually do.”
“And now I’m one of their targets.”
“I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
His voice was calm but filled with quiet determination.
Aria searched his eyes.
She believed him.
Completely.
That evening, the couple attended the grand opening of Aria’s redesigned fashion studio.
Journalists filled the room.
Models showcased her newest collection.
Guests applauded as Aria stood before the audience to give a short speech.
She looked toward Gabriel.
He gave her an encouraging nod.
Taking a deep breath, she began.
“When I started this journey, I had nothing but a sketchbook and a dream…”
The audience listened attentively.
She spoke about perseverance, creativity, and believing in second chances.
When she finished, the applause echoed throughout the studio.
Gabriel couldn’t take his eyes off her.
She belonged on that stage.
Not because of him.
Because she had earned it.
Sophie quietly walked over.
“I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that.”
Aria pretended not to understand.
“Like what?”
“Like he’s forgotten the rest of the room exists.”
Before Aria could respond, the lights suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the studio.
Guests gasped.
Someone screamed.
Then…
A loud crash echoed from the back of the building.
Emergency lights flickered on.
People began rushing toward the exits.
Gabriel immediately reached for Aria.
“Stay behind me.”
Security guards searched the room.
Daniel appeared moments later.
“It wasn’t an accident.”
“What happened?” Gabriel demanded.
Daniel held up a broken device.
“Someone cut the main power.”
Aria felt a chill run down her spine.
This wasn’t a random outage.
Someone had planned it.
As the guests were safely escorted outside, Gabriel noticed a white envelope lying on the stage where Aria had been standing only minutes earlier.
He picked it up.
Inside was a single handwritten note.
The contract ends soon.
No signature.
No explanation.
Just a threat.
Gabriel folded the note slowly.
Then he looked at Aria.
This was no longer just about protecting a business arrangement.
Someone was coming after his wife.
And whether their marriage was real or not…
He realized something that terrified him.
He would do absolutely anything to keep her safe.
- Writer
