chapter nine

Kimmy stood frozen near the center of the sitting room as Gabriel descended the stairs. For moment, she forgot how to breathe.

Seeing him here inside this cold, intimidating mansion felt completely different from the last ltime. Back then, he had been injured and weak. Now he looked exactly like the man everyone feared, powerful and dangerous.

The soft sound of his shoes against the marble floor echoed through the silent room as he approached them slowly. Kimmy suddenly became painfully aware of how out of place she and her mother looked standing there.

Gabriel stopped a few feet away from her. His sharp eyes settled briefly on the bruise on her cheek again before his expression darkened almost invisibly.

“You refused my protection two days ago,” he repeated calmly. “And now you’re standing inside my house.”

Kimmy opened her mouth, but no words came out immediately. For some reason, Gabriel’s presence always made her nervous. Maybe it was the way he looked at people like he could see through them,or maybe it was because she knew exactly what he was capable of.

Beside her, Mara shifted uncomfortably. Kimmy quickly remembered herself.

“This is my mother,” she said quietly. “Mara Anderson.”

Mara gave Gabriel a weak smile despite how frightened she looked. “Thank you… for helping us.” she said weakly.

Gabriel’s eyes moved toward Mara for barely a second then he looked away without greeting or giving a response. Kimmy felt awkward immediately.

Even Roy, standing nearby, sighed quietly like he was already used to this behavior.

Gabriel’s attention returned to Kimmy.

“Come with me.” and Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked toward the large glass doors leading outside.

Kimmy hesitated and She glanced nervously at her mother.

“It’s okay,” Roy said gently. “I’ll stay with her.”

Kimmy nodded slowly before reluctantly following Gabriel. The moment she stepped onto the balcony, cool night air brushed against her skin.

The balcony overlooked the enormous estate, the dark trees swaying slightly under the night wind while guards patrolled below like silent shadows.

Gabriel stood near the railing with his back facing her.For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.Kimmy clasped her hands nervously then Gabriel finally spoke.

“Do you accept my offer now?” he asked,Straight to the point without no emotions.

Kimmy swallowed hard,“I don’t really have much of a choice anymore, do I?”

Gabriel remained silent. She looked down briefly before speaking again.

“My mother is sick. Very sick. She has a brain tumor, and her condition keeps getting worse. I can’t keep dragging her around while people are trying to kill us.”

For the first time since they stepped outside, Gabriel turned to face her fully and His expression remained unreadable.

“I know.”

Kimmy blinked in surprise. “You… know?”

“I had her medical records checked.”

That caught her completely off guard. Kimmy stared at him speechlessly but Gabriel continued calmly.

“There’s a specialist abroad who can handle her treatment better than the hospital she’s currently in.”

Kimmy’s eyes widened slowly. “What?”

“I’ll arrange everything,” he said. “The treatment. The travel. Security.”

Kimmy looked at him like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’d do that?”

Gabriel’s expression didn’t change.“It keeps her safe and far from this mess.”

A lump formed in Kimmy’s throat. For weeks she had been drowning under hospital bills, desperately praying for some miracle to save her mother. And now this terrifying man standing in front of her was casually offering solutions she could never afford in ten lifetimes.

She lowered her eyes quickly. “Thank you…” Her voice came out softer than intended.

Gabriel simply nodded once. “If your mother stays here, she becomes a target. Sending her away is the safest option.”

Kimmy slowly nodded. He was right. As painful as it was, her mother would never survive another attack like today’s. After a long silence, Kimmy finally spoke.

“I’ll stay.”

Gabriel looked at her.

“I’ll stay here,” she clarified quietly. “At the mansion.” The moment the words left her mouth, she felt something tighten painfully in her chest because saying it made everything real. She was officially stepping into Gabriel West’s world and there was no turning back anymore.

Gabriel studied her silently for a moment before speaking again. “Good.”

Then his expression hardened slightly. “But understand this, Kimmy.” Something in his tone immediately made her nervous.

“My house has rules.”

Kimmy’s stomach tightened instantly.

Rules? Her mind immediately began imagining all sorts of terrifying possibilities. No leaving,No freedom,No privacy,No disobedience. The fear must have shown on her face because Gabriel narrowed his eyes slightly.

“You look worried.”

Kimmy forced an awkward laugh. “Shouldn’t I be?”

Gabriel stepped closer slowly, his voice calm but firm. “As long as you follow my rules, you’ll be safe here.”

That sentence somehow didn’t comfort her at all because with a man like Gabriel West… she had no idea what “rules” truly meant.

And suddenly, standing alone with him on that cold balcony, Kimmy realized something terrifying.

She had willingly walked into the lion’s den.