CHAPTER 5

~ Leah ~

A warm ray of morning sunlight slipped through a gap in the curtains and shone on my face, waking me up. I blinked slowly and looked around, my vision still blurry.

This wasn’t the cold, terrifying penthouse.

I was lying on a large, soft bed covered with clean white sheets.

Panic gripped me, and I quickly sat up, holding my aching head. But as the sleep faded, everything that happened last night came rushing back.

And then… him.

The man who had stepped out of the shadows like an angel.

Even though I was barely conscious last night, I still remembered how unbelievably handsome he was.

He was tall—at least six-foot-five—with broad shoulders, a muscular body, and a powerful presence that made the whole forest seem smaller.

Just thinking about how easily he had overpowered Luke made my cheeks grow warm.

I quickly shook my head.

Stop it, Leah. Focus.

I needed to find out where I was.

Slowly, I swung my legs over the side of the bed.

Then I froze.

Sitting in a chair at the corner of the room was the man who had saved me.

His long legs were stretched out in front of him, and his head rested against the back of the chair. His eyes were closed, and the morning sunlight highlighted his sharp jawline.

It looked like he had spent the whole night there, watching over me.

My heart skipped a beat.

Quietly, I climbed out of bed. My bare feet sank into the soft carpet as I slowly walked toward him, careful not to make a sound or wake him.

Up close, he was even more breathtaking. The top few buttons of his black shirt were undone, revealing the hard, tanned expanse of his collarbone and chest. His lips looked incredibly soft, almost swollen, and his long, dark eyelashes cast shadows on his cheekbones.

Is he actually real? I wondered, my mind spinning.

Is he a human, or did a god take pity on me and send an angel down to earth?

Mesmerized, I slowly raised my hand. I extended my index finger, intending to just lightly touch the bridge of his straight nose to see if he was made of flesh and bone.

Before my finger could touch his nose, his hand suddenly shot out.

His large, warm fingers gently wrapped around my wrist, stopping my hand in midair.

My eyes widened.

Slowly, his eyes blinked open. Those striking, deep blue eyes locked onto mine, swirling with amusement. A slow, incredibly devastating smirk crawled up his lips.

"Are you quite done checking me out?" he asked, his voice deep and rough from just waking up.

My heart practically leaped out of my throat. My face instantly flared a bright, violent shade of red.

"I—I wasn't—" I stuttered, biting my bottom lip in embarrassment as I tried to gently pull my wrist back.

His smirk grew a little wider. His thumb lightly brushed over my wrist before he finally let go.

Then he stood up and stretched.

Seeing him on his feet made me realize just how tall he was. He towered over me, making me feel small and strangely safe at the same time.

“We need to talk,” he said gently.

He didn't wait for my response. He took my hand, his touch surprisingly gentle, and led me back to the edge of the bed, urging me to sit.

It was only then that I looked down at my feet.

The dirty, bloodstained cloth I had wrapped around my feet the night before was gone.

Instead, I was wearing a pair of clean, thick black socks. He had cleaned the wounds on my feet while I was asleep. He had even put his leather jacket on me to cover my torn dress.

I looked around the unfamiliar room, trying to figure out where we were.

Noticing the confusion on my face, he gave me a small, reassuring smile.

"This is a hotel. It was the only safe place close enough to the woods that I could bring you to."

I nodded slowly, looking down at my lap, nervously pinching the skin around my fingernails. My heart was pounding for a completely different reason now.

"Who... who are you?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "What's your name?"

He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm Gabriel Stone. But you can call me Gab."

I just stared at him. Gabriel Stone. It was a strong name, yet simple. He didn’t look like an angel, and he didn’t have wings. He was just a man. A kind, protective man.

“What’s your name?” Gab asked, leaning forward slightly. His blue eyes searched mine.

I clasped my hands together but said nothing.

Fear tightened in my chest. If I told him my name and explained everything, would he find out who Luke Paul was? Would he be afraid of Luke’s money and power and send me away?

I wanted to stay with Gabriel, even if it was only for a little while, until I could figure out where to go. For now, staying silent felt like my only protection.

Gabriel let out a quiet sigh, but there was no anger in his eyes.

“Is there anyone you can call?” he asked gently. “A family member? Anyone who can come and get you?”

His words hit me like a punch.

Family.

My mother’s angry voice echoed in my mind. I remembered her shouting at me over the phone and comparing me to my ten-year-old brother.

Then I remembered my father telling me that my life didn’t matter as long as their company’s shares stayed high.

No one was coming for me. If I went back to my parents, they would probably hand me over to Luke themselves.

A hot tear slipped down my bruised cheek. I looked at Gabriel and slowly shook my head.

“Hey,” he said softly.

He moved closer and sat beside me on the bed. Gently, he brushed the tear from my cheek with his thumb. His touch was so gentle that it made me feel safe.

“It’s okay,” he said. “You don’t have to talk if you’re not ready. You’re safe with me. I promise no one will hurt you.”

I looked into his deep blue eyes, and my heart filled with mixed emotions.

Could I really trust him? To everyone else, Luke Paul had seemed kind and perfect too… until he locked the door.

What if Gabriel was just another man pretending to be good? What if his kindness was only an act, and he would show his true colors the moment I let my guard down?

Or… What if he really was the miracle I had been praying for?

Before I could think any more, my stomach let out a loud growl. I gasped and quickly covered my stomach with both hands, my face turning bright red with embarrassment.

Gabriel smiled, his smile made my heart skip a beat.

“Looks like it’s time for breakfast,” he said with a grin. “You look like you haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

He stood up and held out his hand.

I hesitated for a moment before placing my hand in his. His large, calloused hand closed gently around mine as he helped me to my feet.

Together, we left the room and walked to the hotel’s restaurant on the ground floor. The restaurant was unusually quiet.

As we walked in, I looked around but didn’t see a single customer. The tables were neatly arranged, yet the entire place was empty.

We sat at a booth by the window. Before a waiter could come over to take our order, the hotel’s glass entrance doors suddenly shattered.

The peaceful morning was over in an instant.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the hotel. Before we could even react, dozens of men in matching black suits rushed into the restaurant. They moved like trained soldiers, quickly surrounding our table and blocking every exit.

Fear gripped me, making it hard to breathe. I grabbed Gabriel’s arm tightly, my fingers digging into his shirt as my body trembled.

Then a cold laugh echoed through the silent restaurant.

“Did you really think you could escape from me?”

The men in black suits immediately stepped aside, forming a clear path through the middle of the room.