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Gael's heart pounded in his chest. It didn't help that the traffic was awful on the way home. He kept wondering about what Angela could possibly be thinking that made her want to leave. Trigger told him about Lauretta's messages to Angela in the afternoon. Gael should have known that that conniving woman would do something like this.

While worrying about Angela, his mind kept bringing him back to the conversation he had with his father on the SVR Corp private plane. He understood the plan and why they had to do it this way, but he refused to use J—and his father tricked him into signing, knowing he would never agree to it.

~~~

"You can't use J like this. He's just a kid," Gael said as he sat across from his father at the table.

"He's twenty-six. He's an adult. He knows what he's doing."

"Still. You didn't run this by me. I don't agree with this. We could do something else to dissolve the contract. We still have a prisoner at the Bunk—we could use him."

Alessandro let out a sigh, massaging his temple with his fingers as he took a generous sip of whiskey. "That will be the last option because they'll easily shoot it down and say they don't know him. That prisoner is of no use to them anymore. He's disposable. Jino is our best shot. Filipo and his right-hand man are still after him, and that's a perfect temptation. Besides, J won't be alone in this. We'll have men to watch over him during the operation."

The thought of J being used as bait left a bitter taste in Gael's tongue. "You would never do this if it were us. You'd never use me, or Seb, or Gabby. Is it because J is not your blood?" He scowled.

Alessandro slammed the glass onto the table, nearly shattering it, some liquid sloshing out and making a mess. "Watch your mouth," he snapped at Gael, and the latter slightly lowered his head, remembering that he was talking to the king. 

Gael was furious, but he should still keep his anger controlled. That was no way to talk to the Don.

His father continued, "I'm still the head of this family, in case you have forgotten. I'm not heartless. I do what I need to do to save my family. You think I'm not having a hard time, knowing that two of my children are in this predicament that's largely affecting all of us? You are my son, and Gabriella is my only daughter. If I could, I'd sacrifice myself so you two can get away with this. But even if I die, we both know this won't end. Unless the Morellis are wiped out, this war will see no victor. 

"So yes, I will choose to use anyone as a lure over my family if that means I'm protecting them. I have made my decision, and we will proceed as planned."

Gael tried to regain his composure, but his blood was still boiling inside him. He wanted to pummel someone down to the ground. 'There's got to be another way other than using J for this,' he thought. The Morellis were old school gangsters who would use violence to settle matters; they could have stayed in their territories, and they wouldn't have this war, but they're greedy sons of bitches who wanted to take over New York too.

Slightly calmed down now, Gael steepled his hands as he told his father, "Let's say you're right, and they would take the bait. There's still a flaw in this plan of yours. Don Mario would have already told his people about the contract. They need this marriage to happen so his men wouldn't be attacking us. There are less than three days to the supposed wedding. That's a short window."

"I know that." Alessandro down the rest of his drink and poured himself another one. "Which is why I've intercepted his route back home. Mario should be in the hospital by now, clinging to his life. Let's just hope he won't wake up before our plan succeeds. And as soon as it does, I'll meet with the council and let them acknowledge the contract we made in blood. They will naturally withdraw the order."

Gael stared at his father for a long time. His hair was now salt and pepper—more pepper than salt—but he still looked regal in his form. Alessandro always dressed like he was attending an important occasion—Italian tailored suit, polished shoes, coiffed hair. He was tall, large, and had a great physique for a man in his sixties, though it seemed that he had gotten a little bit slim the past few months. Even so, one look at him, and people would want to shrink back.

"What?" Alessandro cocked a brow when he noticed Gael staring at him.

"Nothing. Sometimes I forget how smart you are even when you're sixty."

This made the older man chuckle. "I'm not that old."

~~~

Gael was supposed to go straight to J, but instead, he was now on his way home, hoping that Angela would still be there when he arrived. Even though he instructed Trigger not to let her leave, he was sure that if she really wanted to, she could.

As soon as the car stopped in front of the apartment building, Gael flew out of the backseat and sprinted towards the elevator. 

"Where is she?" he asked one of the guards as he approached his unit.

"Miss Su's inside, Sir."

He took a deep breath and walked in, the place eerily silent apart from his footsteps. Trigger stood in the middle of the living room, seemingly worried. Without looking at him, Gael nodded towards the door, and Trigger immediately left after giving a bow.

Reaching the door to the bedroom, he twisted the knob and pushed it open. His eyes landed on a suitcase a few feet from him. It was Angela's.

The bedroom smelled of lavender, a scent that's so calming; his sleep got better recently. When she tidied the room, she would spray it on the sheets and pillows. She told him it would help him relax.

At the moment, he was far from relaxed.

Angela sat at the edge of the bed, facing the tall window. She watched the view of the cold night sky and central park like it was a photo in a frame, and she was admiring it in a museum. Except just like him, she wasn't relaxed. She was aware of his presence when he came in, seeing as her hands clenched the sheets.

"Angel…" he called as he approached her. She didn't turn her head to look at him, even when he knelt in front of her.

"How was your meeting?" she asked, her voice painfully calm. Knowing that she learned about the contract from Lauretta, Gael was pissed.

"I didn't know about the contract until the last second."

Angela released a long exhale as if she was relieved to hear that, but she still refused to look at him. "I figured as much…"

Gael didn't know whether to feel comforted that she at least believed he had nothing to do with it. Because if she did, why was she still leaving? "What's with the suitcase?"

"I… I'm going home."

"Why?"

"You know why."

"No, I fucking don't. Look at me." Now he was pissed, frustrated at the idea of her leaving his side. He slid his palm on her cheek, cupping it as he turned her head so she would face him. Then his thumb caught the sudden tear that fell down her cheek.

When her eyes finally met his, that's when he saw it. Pain. His Angel was in pain, and it felt like a spear struck his chest and pierced his heart. She curled the corners of her lips into a small smile, the movement looking like she exerted a lot of effort. It was devastating to see that look in her; it made him want to kill the person who made her like this—except that person was him.

Then she did something he least expected.

Angela kissed him, her lips so soft against his.

She didn't move to further the kiss, but her lips lingered for a few beats.

He was too shocked and confused as he didn't know why she was doing this right now. Then Gael deepened the kiss, not wanting to let her go. So he pried her mouth to open for his tongue and pulled her closer, refusing to believe that this was a kiss of death.