Gabriel opened his eyes slowly, then quickly. He took a deep breath and snapped his head to the right, quickly realizing he wasn't in his car. Zoe, noticing he was awake, placed an assuring hand on his shoulder. "Relax, buddy, it's me." Her eyes, filled with concern, shone even in the dim light of the car.He sat up and looked out the window, spotting his car a few feet away against a tree. "You crashed and lost consciousness. I tried calling an ambulance, but the poor signal in this area made it impossible."Gabriel winced, feeling a sharp pain in his head as he shifted. "What's wrong with you, Gabriel? You're bleeding," Zoe said, her voice laced with worry.He nodded, not wanting her to elaborate on his condition. She continued, "I couldn't reach emergency services, but I managed to contact my friend Louisa, the nurse who checked your wounds the other night. She's on her way.""No," he snapped. "My wife. I need to see her.""Relax, Gabriel. I'm sure she's fine.""She's not!" he
Zoe reluctantly pulled over, sensing the urgency in his voice. Gabriel swung open the door and staggered out, his eyes burning with determination."What are you doing?" Zoe called out, worried."I'm going to Brock's. He's behind this, I know it," Gabriel replied, his voice seething with anger. He slammed the door and started walking down the road.Zoe hurried after him, grabbing his arm. "Gabe, you're not in any condition to confront anyone. Let’s think this through."He yanked his arm away. "I can't wait. My daughter needs me now." With that, he continued on, leaving Zoe torn between helping him and keeping him safe.Zoe sighed and finally said, "Fine, Gabe. I’ll drive you there." But Gabriel shook his head vehemently. "No, Zoe. I can't involve you in this.""You're bleeding, Gabe! You need help," she insisted, her voice edged with concern."I don’t have time for this. I’m going alone," he snapped, and before she could stop him, he stepped out of the truck, flagged down a passing ca
Gabriel’s blood ran cold as he glanced at Louis, who watched him with concern. The voice on the line laughed."I’m sure you’re at the uncompleted house. Too bad, I had your daughter moved just in time. Looks like I was a step ahead of you. Sorry, you were late." The man’s laughter echoed through the phone again, taunting and cruel.Gabriel clenched his fist, fury, and helplessness swirling inside him as the call ended.Louis watched as Gabriel’s hand tightened around the phone, his knuckles turning white with anger. "Who was that?" Louis asked, his voice low but urgent."The kidnapper," Gabriel spat, his frustration bubbling to the surface. He threw the phone down, running his hand through his hair, trying to make sense of the situation. "I wish I had an idea who it was, Louis. But I’m going to find my daughter, no matter what."Louis placed a reassuring hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. "We’ll keep searching. I’ll keep you informed the moment we find a lead."Gabriel nodded, his jaw cle
Zoe's eyes widened slightly, a glimmer of hope in her expression. "That’s good news, Gabriel. We can take it from here. Why didn’t you tell your family?"He shook his head, his jaw set in determination. "I want to handle this my way."She nodded, understanding the burden he carried. "Alright. I get it. So, what now?"Gabriel exhaled slowly. "I need to go home. Try and encourage Camella, make sure she's okay.""And your wound? You need to see a doctor, make sure it’s dressed and—""Stop worrying about me," Gabriel snapped, his voice edged with frustration. He didn't mean to lash out, but the weight of the situation was suffocating him.Zoe sighed, seeing the exhaustion and pain etched into his face. "Fine. I can drop you home if you want…""No." Gabriel turned and started walking away, his eyes scanning the area, realizing he had left the motorcycle at Brock’s family house.Zoe watched him, her heart heavy with concern. She approached him again, trying to reason with him. "Gabriel, let
The next morning, Gabriel met up with Louis at a quiet corner of a café, hoping for any leads on Jessie’s whereabouts. Louis shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Gabriel. Still nothing," he said, his voice heavy with frustration.Gabriel sighed deeply, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. "I didn’t tell Camella about the call from the kidnapper," he admitted, staring at his hands.Louis frowned, confusion evident in his eyes. "Why didn’t you tell her? She deserves to know."Gabriel’s expression tightened. "Because she’s already falling apart, Louis. If I tell her and something goes wrong, it will destroy her. I need to handle this on my own terms."Louis considered his words, then nodded slowly. "That makes sense," he conceded. After a pause, he asked, "Could it be Fredrick behind this? He had a grudge after you took over his company."Gabriel shook his head firmly. "Fredrick and his family left the city a long time ago. He’s not the type to come back just for reve
Zoe couldn’t bear the heavy silence that followed Dan’s words. She turned to him, her voice tense. “Are you going to help me or not?”Dan leaned back to the nearby wall, arms crossed. “Why do you do so much for Gabriel, Zoe?”She hesitated, avoiding his eyes. “He’s a friend. He’s in trouble, and he needs help.”He shook his head, his eyes narrowing. “I can see that, but I want to hear it from you, Zoe. It’s written all over your face.”She stiffened. “What are you talking about?”“The way you smile when you talk to him, the way your whole demeanor changes when his name is mentioned. It’s like you’re on cloud nine. I’ve seen it, Zoe. I’ve watched you in the office. Don’t try to deny it.”Zoe felt a pang of discomfort. She quickly tried to deflect, her tone light. “You’re overthinking things, Dan. Gabriel is just—”“Don’t gaslight me, Zoe!” Dan’s voice rose, frustration breaking through. “Just tell me the truth.”The room seemed to close in on her as she finally admitted, “Okay, fine. I
Gabriel took a deep breath, a mixture of relief and determination washing over him as he prepared to save his daughter.He excused himself and rushed into the house, his heart pounding with urgency. He grabbed his jacket from the chair and hurried back out, his movements frantic. As he walked briskly toward his car, he suddenly halted, spinning around at the sound of footsteps behind him. Zoe stood there, a determined look on her face.“Let’s go, Gabriel,” she said, her voice firm.He shook his head, his expression hardening. “No.”Zoe’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s go. I’m coming with you.”Gabriel took a deep breath, trying to rein in his frustration. “Zoe, I said no. You can't come with me.”Their argument escalated quickly, tension crackling between them. Zoe wouldn’t back down, and it drove Gabriel to the edge. “It's dangerous, Zoe!” he yelled, his voice cracking with the weight of his worry. “I’m going. Alone. Obey my wish!”He turned away from her, storming to his car. Without anothe
Gabriel found it hard to recall any potential enemy of the past who could have a relation with the man standing before him. "Hmm, you don’t know my father? It’s true that killers tend to forget their victims, but this is never the case for the victims," Ric taunted, his eyes gleaming with a twisted satisfaction.Gabriel clenched his fists, his patience wearing thin. "Enough with the games! Who the hell was your father?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.Ric’s smirk grew wider. "Let me do a full disclosure. I’m Ric. Gaganda’s son."“Gaganda?” Gabriel’s expression shifted as realization dawned on him. His jaw tightened, and he stared hard at Ric, the pieces falling into place."You remember now, huh?" Ric said, his voice dripping with satisfaction."I didn’t kill your father. Your father deserved death, anyway. He killed my subordinate’s wife," Gabriel retorted, his voice cold and steady."Oh, Louis. My father told me a thing or two about him while I was in jail. Louis killed h