Chapter 5: Family Ties and Betrayals
1410 Words
The moment I walked into the dining room, I could feel the chill in the air. Victoria Knight, Gabriel’s mother, sat at the head of the table, her sharp eyes scanning me like a predator sizing up its prey. I swallowed hard, trying to steady my nerves. This wasn’t just a dinner—it was a trap, and I was the bait.
"Please, sit," Victoria said, her voice as cold as the marble floors beneath my feet. "We have much to discuss."
I hesitated but then pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. I couldn’t let her see how unnerved I was, not when she was looking at me with such disdain. "I’m not sure what you think we have to discuss, but I’m listening."
Victoria’s lips curled into a faint smile, but there was no warmth in it. "Gabriel’s work... his empire... you’re not just a part of it. You’re a threat to it. And I’m sure you’ve noticed, dear, that the pressure is mounting. This relationship, your... presence in his life, is becoming an obstacle."
I leaned forward, narrowing my eyes. "What are you really saying, Victoria?"
She let out a small, condescending laugh. "What I’m saying, Jasmine, is that you can either choose to leave my son and return to your life of mediocrity—or you can stay and watch everything crumble."
I gripped the edge of the table, trying to steady my breath. "You think I’m here for your son’s money, don’t you? That I’m just some gold-digger, using him for my own gain."
"Not at all." Her eyes glinted with something dark. "But I do think you don’t understand the kind of power we’re dealing with. Gabriel’s empire is built on trust, loyalty, and control. You’re... disrupting that."
"You don’t get it, do you?" I shot back, my voice rising. "I’m not after his money. I don’t care about his empire. But I do care about my daughter. I care about Gabriel, and I’m not going to let you manipulate me into walking away."
Victoria’s smile faded. "You think you have a choice in this? I’m offering you a chance to preserve whatever dignity you have left. But make no mistake—if you stay, you will destroy Gabriel, and I will make sure of it."
I felt my pulse quicken. "You think I’m the one destroying him? You have no idea what you’re talking about. You don’t know the first thing about me, about us."
"All I know," Victoria said with cold finality, "is that you’ll never belong in this world. And if you think Gabriel will choose you over his legacy, you’re sorely mistaken."
Before I could respond, the door opened, and Gabriel walked in, his face dark as he took in the tense atmosphere. He glanced between Victoria and me, sensing the weight of the conversation.
"Is everything okay?" His voice was quiet, guarded.
Victoria’s gaze didn’t leave me as she spoke. "I was just explaining to Jasmine that she needs to think very carefully about the path she’s on."
Gabriel's eyes flickered, but he said nothing. I could see the conflict in his expression, the pull between his mother and me. It hurt more than I wanted to admit. "I’m not going anywhere," I said, my voice steady despite the emotions swirling inside. "And I’m not going to let her control me—or you."
Gabriel’s jaw clenched, and he looked away, unable to respond.
Just then, my phone buzzed. A message from my mother. I glanced down, quickly reading the words: We need to talk. It’s about Lily.
My heart sank. I knew what was coming. As if on cue, my phone buzzed again, this time with a call from my dad. I ignored it, trying to focus on the situation at hand, but the constant interruptions only made everything feel heavier.
Victoria noticed the distraction. "I see your family is trying to reach you," she said, her tone biting. "Perhaps they’re reminding you of your place, Jasmine."
I stood up, pushing the chair back with more force than necessary. "I’m not letting you turn this into some kind of game. This isn’t about control for me—it’s about love and loyalty. Something you seem to know very little about."
Victoria’s eyes glinted dangerously. "Love?" she scoffed. "If you truly loved Gabriel, you’d walk away and let him be the man he’s meant to be. He can’t afford distractions. Not now. Not with everything at stake."
Before I could respond, my phone rang again. This time, I answered it, desperate to change the subject.
"Jasmine," my father’s voice came through the line, cold and stern. "We need to talk about your choices. You’ve made it clear that you’re not returning to the family, but there are things you need to understand. If you want our support, if you want to have any chance of getting Lily back full-time... you have to sever ties with Gabriel. It’s the only way."
My stomach dropped. "Dad, I can’t—"
"You don’t understand, Jasmine," he interrupted, his voice rising. "You’ve already thrown away your life. You’re embarrassing yourself and dragging your daughter through it. Do you think Gabriel is going to save you? He’s a billionaire. He doesn’t care about you. He’ll discard you like everyone else when it’s convenient."
"That’s not true!" I shouted, my voice shaking. "You don’t get it. You never have."
"We’re done here," my father said, hanging up before I could protest.
I stared at my phone, the weight of his words pressing down on me. I had been hoping, praying, that things could be different. But now, everything felt like it was falling apart. My parents, Gabriel’s mother, the constant pressure—it was too much.
Victoria was watching me closely, a cruel smile on her face as she saw the defeat in my expression. "You see? No one wants you here. No one but Gabriel. And he will lose everything because of you."
I clenched my fists, fighting back tears. "I’m not going anywhere."
Gabriel’s voice broke through the tension. "Enough, Mother," he said sharply, his voice colder than I had ever heard it. "Jasmine stays. You’ll learn to accept that."
Victoria’s eyes narrowed, and she stood up, her chair scraping harshly against the floor. "I’ll never accept it. And neither will the rest of this family." She turned on her heel, marching out of the room without another word.
I stood there, my chest tight. Gabriel’s mother had made her position clear. But my parents? What did they really want from me?
Before I could process it all, my phone buzzed again. This time, I had a text message from Colin. I’ve filed for full custody of Lily. We’re going to court. You’ll lose her unless you cut ties with Gabriel. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet. Gabriel’s empire was crumbling, my family was demanding I choose, and now Colin was playing his hand.
I looked at Gabriel, my heart pounding. "I—"
But before I could finish, his phone rang, and he froze, his expression falling as he glanced at the screen. "It’s my mother," he muttered under his breath, answering the call.
I watched as his face hardened. His eyes flicked to me, and for the first time, I saw the mask c***k. "Yes, Mother. What is it?"
I barely heard her voice through the phone, but I could see the tension in Gabriel’s face.
"Tell her... what?" Gabriel’s voice dropped to a whisper, but it was filled with fury. "I’ll take care of it. Goodbye."
He ended the call and turned to face me. His eyes were stormy, and I could feel the weight of his words before he even spoke.
"Jasmine, my mother..." He paused, looking at me with a mixture of frustration and resignation. "She’s demanding I sever ties with you. Or risk losing everything."
I felt the walls close in. "And what are you going to do?"
He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair, clearly struggling. "I don’t know."
"Then we’re both screwed," I whispered, a sinking feeling in my stomach.
And just as I turned to leave, my phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn’t my parents.
It was a message from Colin:
I’ve already filed for custody of Lily. It’s too late to change your mind. You’ll lose her.
- Writer
