Chapter 7 - The Betrayal Inside Gabriel’s House
Victor struck three days later.
Not with bullets.
With betrayal.
Federal agents arrived at Gabriel's townhouse at six in the morning.
They had warrants.
Weapons.
And evidence connecting Gabriel personally to Liam’s death.
Madeline watched from the staircase as Gabriel was handcuffed.
“This is wrong!”
An agent blocked her.
Gabriel looked up.
“Madeline, don't interfere.”
“They're framing you.”
“I know.”
He was taken away.
By noon every Boston news station carried the story.
GABRIEL ROSSI ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH AUDITOR'S DEATH.
The evidence appeared overwhelming.
Payments.
Vehicle registrations.
Emails.
Orders bearing Gabriel's digital signature.
Victor had spent months constructing the perfect frame.
Madeline was advised to distance herself.
She did the opposite.
She returned to St. Jude.
Liam had said the answer was inside books nobody thought mattered.
Not computers.
Books.
She searched for fourteen hours.
At 11:20 p.m., she found it.
A restoration ledger from 1891.
Inside the binding Liam had hidden a micro-SD card.
The files contained something Victor had overlooked.
Original server logs.
They proved Gabriel’s credentials had been cloned.
More importantly, one recording captured Victor ordering Liam's murder.
Madeline cried when she heard Liam’s voice in the background.
But the recording contained another revelation.
Victor said:
“Once the librarian has the baby, we take care of both problems.”
Madeline replayed it.
Why her baby?
She searched Liam’s files.
The answer appeared in a scanned DNA report.
Her unborn daughter was not merely connected to Liam.
Liam's biological father had been Thomas Calder.
Diana's older brother.
Liam had been born from an affair and adopted as an infant.
That made Lily a Calder heir.
Under a decades-old family trust, Liam’s child would inherit a controlling interest in Calder Maritime upon birth.
Victor could not permanently control the shipping company while Lily lived.
Madeline nearly vomited.
This had never been only about Liam.
Her daughter was part of the conspiracy.
She sent the evidence to prosecutors.
Gabriel was released the next afternoon.
Madeline waited outside.
Snow fell gently.
He walked toward her.
For once there were no guards between them.
“You shouldn't be here.”
“I've noticed you say that whenever you're happy to see me.”
He stopped.
“You found the evidence.”
“Liam did.”
“You finished what he started.”
She nodded.
Gabriel looked exhausted.
“I heard the recording.”
“So did I.”
“I'll kill Victor before he touches you.”
Madeline’s expression hardened.
“No.”
“Madeline—”
“No more bodies.”
“He threatened your child.”
“And I want him alive.”
Gabriel stared.
“So he can sit in a courtroom and hear every charge. So everyone knows what he did to Liam.”
Her voice trembled.
“I want justice, Gabriel. Not revenge.”
He looked away.
Revenge he understood.
Justice required patience.
Madeline stepped closer.
“If you kill him, you prove Victor was right about you.”
Gabriel looked back.
“What if he hurts you because I hesitated?”
“Then protect me without becoming him.”
Those words followed Gabriel for days.
The authorities began hunting Victor.
Montgomery negotiated for immunity and gave prosecutors financial records.
Diana agreed to testify.
The conspiracy collapsed.
But Victor remained missing.
Then Madeline received a call.
Mr. Abernathy had awakened.
She and Gabriel rushed to the hospital.
Abernathy was weak.
But conscious.
When he saw Gabriel, fear crossed his face.
Madeline took his hand.
“You're safe.”
“No,” Abernathy whispered.
“What?”
“He has tunnels.”
Gabriel frowned.
“What tunnels?”
“St. Jude.”
Abernathy explained that Prohibition-era tunnels ran beneath the library to old warehouses near the harbor.
Victor had discovered them during the acquisition.
He had used them to move documents.
And weapons.
Gabriel immediately called Marco.
No answer.
He called again.
Nothing.
Then Madeline's phone buzzed.
A photograph appeared.
Marco was tied to a chair.
Behind him stood Victor.
The message read:
MIDNIGHT. ST. JUDE. BRING MADELINE AND THE ORIGINAL DRIVE OR MARCO DIES.
Gabriel's face became terrifyingly calm.
“No.”
Madeline read the message.
“He wants me.”
“He isn't getting you.”
“He'll kill Marco.”
“I'll find another way.”
Madeline looked at him.
“You followed me because you saw me help a stranger.”
Gabriel said nothing.
“You said it changed something in you.”
“It did.”
“Then don't ask me to become someone who lets another person die to keep myself safe.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
May you like
Because he knew she was right.
And because loving Madeline Harper was becoming the most terrifying thing he had ever done.
