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Chapter 37: The Midnight Betrayal
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2025-08-29 18:25:58
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The silence between us Chapter Forty: Between the Fractures of Silence
The estate had fallen into an uneasy hush after the clash at the gates. The corridors, once echoing with hurried footsteps and sharp commands, now carried only the soft murmur of servants clearing debris and the faint creak of settling walls. Even the night seemed to hold its breath, reluctant to disturb the fragile peace that had been bought with so much tension.Lucy moved slowly through the grand hallway, the soles of her slippers brushing against the cool marble. A candle flickered in her hand, its light tracing golden arcs along the carved moldings. Every shadow felt deeper tonight, every corner heavier. She was still trembling inside, though she told herself over and over that it was finished that at least for now, danger had receded beyond the gates.Her steps led her toward Gabriel’s private chamber. He had retreated there after the last of the shouting had died down, insisting he didn’t need anyone’s help, not even the doctor’s. Stubborn as always. But Lucy had seen the bruis
The silence between us Chapter 39: After the Gates
The heavy oak doors groaned as they were pushed shut, the iron bar sliding into place with a final, resonant thud. For a long moment, the grand entrance hall was filled with the sound of breathing labored, ragged, uneven. Soldiers leaned against the walls, their armor scratched and smeared with dirt and blood. Servants hurried to fetch water and bandages, their hands trembling as they moved between the wounded. The acrid tang of smoke from the gate fire still clung to everyone’s clothes.Lucy stood near the stairwell, her hands gripping the railing so tightly her knuckles were white. Her heart hadn’t slowed since the clash outside. The battle still echoed inside her screams, the crack of gunfire, the violent crash of steel. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, forcing herself to stay grounded in the here and now.Gabriel was at the center of the hall, giving instructions with clipped precision. His coat was torn at the sleeve, his face streaked with grime, but his presence was steady
The silence between us Chapter 38: Flames at the Gate
The night was unnaturally still. No cicadas sang from the trees, no wind rustled the vines, and even the dogs in the lower kennels had gone silent, as though the estate itself were holding its breath.Lucy stood at the arched window of the grand library, her hands pressed against the cool glass. In the distance, where the long gravel road met the iron gates of the vineyard estate, torchlight shimmered too many to be an accident, too purposeful to be travelers. Her stomach tightened.“Gabriel,” she whispered, though he was already moving.He came up beside her, dark jacket half buttoned, shoulders tense. His eyes followed the glow beyond the trees, narrowing until they hardened like steel. “They’ve come,” he said simply.Lucy turned toward him. “Who?”“Men who don’t belong here.” He exhaled through his nose, controlled but sharp. “Rival claimants, mercenaries bought hands. Patricia’s allies, maybe Joana’s. Doesn’t matter. They want the gate.”Her heart thudded. “At this hour?”“It’s th
The silence between us Chapter 37: The Midnight Betrayal
The church bell in the distance tolled midnight, each heavy chime rolling across the land like the drumbeat of war. In the rose garden, silence fell sharp and unnatural, as though even the wind held its breath.The hooded figure stood before them, perfectly still, their shadow bleeding into the fountain’s cracked stone base.Lucy’s pulse thudded in her ears. She wanted to scream, to tear the hood away and unmask them, but her body refused to move. Instead, she gripped Gabriel’s arm tighter, grounding herself in his presence.The twelfth chime rang.And then, faintly, the metallic groan of the estate’s gates echoed in the distance.Lucy gasped. "No…"Gabriel’s eyes hardened, his voice a low snarl. "You’ve betrayed yourself already. Only someone inside could force that lock."The hooded figure chuckled, the sound dripping with mockery. "Finally, he understands."Gabriel took a measured step forward, his shoulders broad, his shadow long in the moonlight. "You’ll tell me who opened those
The silence between us Chapter 36: The Note
Gabriel stood over his desk like a storm contained within a man. The folded slip of cream paper lay untouched where the guard had placed it, its edges too sharp, too deliberate, as though whoever delivered it wanted to ensure it cut deeper than any blade. The study smelled faintly of leather, wood polish, and the smoke of the fire that had burned low in the grate. Yet none of those familiar scents soothed him now.Lucy lingered by the door, arms folded, her eyes never leaving the letter. "Why aren’t you opening it?" Her voice carried the quiet challenge of someone who knew the weight of silence.Gabriel’s hand hovered over the note, but he didn’t pick it up. Instead, he studied it the way a soldier studies an enemy’s weapon. "Because sometimes," he said finally, "the moment before you know is the only moment you still have control."Lucy’s brow furrowed. "And the moment after?"He met her gaze. "That’s when control is already slipping away."She crossed the room, her soft steps brushi
The silence between us Chapter 35: Breaking the Pattern
The library doors had barely settled back into their heavy hinges when Gabriel barked orders in rapid Spanish. His voice echoed against the marble corridors, clipped and low but sharp enough to send three of his men scattering to secure every point of entry. The estate, already a fortress, suddenly felt like a trap. Lucy stood near the tall shelves, arms wrapped around herself, pulse still uneven from the faceless shadow that had watched them from the garden.She had never seen Gabriel like this cold, controlled, calculating. It was the kind of authority that could command empires, the same kind that had once terrified her. Now it frightened her for a different reason: it reminded her just how powerful he was, and how powerless she felt.“Elena will take you upstairs,” Gabriel said without turning toward her, his hand pressed to the earpiece he wore. “Stay there until I call for you.”“I’m not a child,” Lucy answered, her voice quieter than she intended but firm. “I’m not going upstai
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