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Gael and Angela fell asleep after going over some scenes in the book with him. She recounted what went on in her head as she wrote them. And he was right about her projecting her reality to the book—or at least, what could\'ve been.

He told her that he would be lying if he said he wasn\'t feeling anything bad about their situation after she worried that he was taking it better than she thought he would. She probably expected him to throw a fit for finding out about her pregnancy and miscarriage like this.

So he told her he was disappointed to know all about it so late. That he would have preferred he knew as soon as she found out. However, he couldn\'t blame her. Firstly, they both knew their night years ago was just a one-time thing, so he didn\'t attempt to keep in contact with her after that. And secondly, from what she said, she did try to find ways to contact him. The intention was there, and that meant a lot to him. And lastly, Angela went through a lot from the night she was held captive and lost their baby. That was something Gael could never bring back to rectify.

Tonight, they both promised that whatever happens in the future, their trust in each other would prevail.

***

Monday — February 4

Gael\'s consciousness came to as soon as he heard the door to Angela\'s bedroom click open. He kept his eyes closed and his ears alert as he waited for whoever was coming inside at the same time that he carefully reached for the gun under his pillow.

He was lying on his side as he still couldn\'t lie on his back, with one arm under the pillow and the other draped over Angela, who snuggled up to him, her face buried against his chest.

Footsteps fell into the bedroom quietly. There were at least two pairs. And then the bed dipped from a weight as if someone had sat behind Angela. Gael\'s jaw tightened, and he curled his hand around the gun, ready to point it wherever.

He slowly fluttered his eyes open to take a peek, and they landed on familiar faces: Charlie and Oliver. A sigh of relief fell out of Gael\'s lips as he relaxed his hand from the gun.

Charlie briefly glanced at Gael\'s hidden hand under the pillow as if he knew what he had hidden there. Gael wouldn\'t put it past the older man to know he was packing heat under his roof, inside his daughter\'s bedroom—while his daughter was sleeping right next to Gael. But he hoped Charlie would understand.

It seemed like the older man did when he nodded at Gael and said in a low voice, "I\'m sorry for waking you up. I just needed to see my daughter and make sure she\'s okay."

Clearly aware that Charlie and Oliver could see how Gael was tangled up with Angela\'s body while they hovered above them, Gael suddenly felt a little awkward.

Gael carefully shifted away from her, but Angela pulled him back and groaned in protest, clinging onto him like she didn\'t want to let go. \'Shit. What now?\'

A small smile ghosted across Charlie\'s face. "It\'s okay, son. You don\'t have to leave."

Gael swallowed, his body growing hot at the attention of the two men in Angela\'s life that was focused on him. Her lips were pressed against his clavicle, and her leg wrapped around his hip. If he didn\'t move away, she might do something beyond that while her family was there. 

His heart thudded as he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Hey… Baby, your father and brother are here." He couldn\'t suffer alone, could he? She\'d love to know her father and brother are watching her embracing a man right now. \'Sorry, Love.\'

She stirred, looking dazed for a moment as she looked around. "Huh?"

A gasp escaped from her lips, and her eyes widened. "Dad… Oli…"

Taking advantage of the distraction, Gael slid out of bed and swiftly put his handgun in the nightstand drawer—no doubt the two male Sus had seen it—and grabbed his phone as he stood up. "I\'ll give you guys some privacy."

"Where are you going?" Angela questioned in her sleepy voice, worry creasing her forehead.

"Don\'t worry. I\'ll just be downstairs. I need to check on my men anyway." He excused himself and returned Oliver\'s nod with his own as he passed by them, then closed the bedroom door behind him.

***

Gael found Trigger smoking under a tree by the garage. Trigger stubbed the cigarette at the trunk and met Gael halfway down the driveway. "Where are the others?" Gael asked.

"Their stations out the back. Everything checked out after their rounds ten minutes ago," Trigger answered, his fingers gesturing towards the direction of the other soldiers behind the mansion.

Since Gael\'s men arrived last night, they hadn\'t slept yet as they kept their guards up, in case someone decided invading the Su Mansion would be a good idea. He needed them to be alert, though. "Take turns resting for a few hours."

Gael whipped out his phone and called Rick who answered on the first ring. "How\'s the pig?"

"Still in his mud, Boss. Hasn\'t left the house since that night."

"He\'ll go out some time. What about the other guy who laid his hands on her?" Gael gritted his teeth. Angela had told him what happened when that guy abducted her from the apartment. He was proud that she defended herself and didn\'t go down without a fight—even went as far as swinging a knife at the guy and slicing his side. It would have been better if he\'d bled out and died so he wouldn\'t have been able to grab her—but that would mean Angela would\'ve killed a man. Gael didn\'t think she\'d be able to handle that.

"Santiago\'s watching him in a seedy neighborhood ten minutes from here."

"Good." Gael sighed. "You can\'t fuck this up, Rick."

"What if he won\'t contact him?"

By "him", Rick meant Filippo—the crazy son of a bitch who dared to deal drugs in Esmea and was in cahoots with the Leos. Of course, Gael wasn\'t certain yet. All speculations. But all arrows were pointed at the man already. Furthermore, Filippo was behind Gabby\'s kidnapping, which led to Jino torturing his right-hand man, Bruno. And Bruno retaliated by killing Jino. Gael had been looking for Filippo since. The man was sticky.

"He will. I\'m sure of it." Filippo preferred talking face to face.

"I\'ll keep you updated, Boss."

The phone call ended, and Gael spent a few more minutes with Trigger, going over their security plans and in case they needed to move tonight. Gael was no longer taking any chances. Angela got hurt because he failed to protect her. That would never happen again.

***

As he sauntered back inside the mansion and walked up the stairs, Gael nearly bumped into Elias, who was wheeling a breakfast cart that he brought from downstairs—he used the service elevator connected directly to the kitchen.

"I\'ll take it from here." Gael stepped in and met Elias\'s furrowed gaze as if he was offended that someone wanted to rob him of his task, his hands gripping the handlebar tightly. Gael flashed him a smile, unafraid of the daggers the older man shot with his eyes. "I want to do it for her. Thank you, Elias."

With a "hmph" and a raised chin, Elias stepped aside and turned back towards the elevator, making Gael shake his head.

Gael wasn\'t sure if Charlie and Oliver were still in her room. It would be less awkward for him to go back if he brought something as though he had a purpose to go back other than wanting to crawl back in bed with their precious Angela.

He knocked on the door, and sure enough, they were still there. Oliver opened it and gave way to him as he pushed the cart towards the table by the window where they had been eating their meals since yesterday. When he turned around, Gael met Charlie\'s eyes, and he thought it was time he talked to him, knowing Charlie might have something planned after his conversation with Angela.

"Charlie… I\'d like to speak to you," said Gael.

Charlie got to his feet and nodded, patting Angela\'s hand as he moved away. "Let\'s go to my office."

"What are you going to talk about?" Angela probed. "Why can\'t you talk right here?"

Gael regarded Angela and weighed his words in his head. Then he softened his voice a little. "I just need to talk to your father about his plans."

"What are \'your\' plans? I want to hear them," she insisted, looking like she was standing her ground—as if no matter what he\'d say, she would continue to insist.

"I don\'t think you want to hear this."

"I don\'t care. You\'re talking here. Now. You\'re not going to leave me out of this."

Gael traded glances with Charlie and Oliver, watching his exchange with Angela with a mix of curious gazes and slight understanding. When he didn\'t speak, she added, "You promised."

It wasn\'t that he didn\'t want Angela to know what his plans were. He would tell her later anyway. Gael just thought he\'d speak to Charlie in private so her father wouldn\'t think Gael was purposely dragging Angela into something dangerous. He wanted Charlie to believe that he wouldn\'t ever put her in danger—and knowledge could be dangerous.

"Fine." Gael faced Charlie. "Are you dealing drugs with the Leos?"

Angela flinched at his straightforward question.

But Charlie remained calm as he answered, "No. I\'ve already told Angela I have no idea why they used my truck, men, and warehouse that night—or possibly other nights I don\'t know of."

Gael nodded. He figured that out, but he also needed to hear it directly from Charlie. "Let me handle the Leos."

"Why should I let you?" Charlie asked.

"I have a personal grudge against Evan. And I need them...to amend an agreement with the Parks between our families."

"What happens after? How are you going to make sure that good-for-nothing demon pays for what he\'s done to my daughter? To you?" Charlie questioned point-blank as if he wanted to know exactly how Gael would punish the scumbag.

As much as Gael respected the older man, he wouldn\'t make them an accessory to admitting anything. For their safety. 

He looked at Charlie in the eyes, hoping the other would see his intent as his voice dipped low. "I guarantee you.. My family will take care of it."