Chapter 4 - The Four Seasons Suite
When Mara woke up the next afternoon, she wasn’t in a sterile hospital room.
She was lying in a massive king-sized bed wrapped in Egyptian cotton sheets inside a sunlit penthouse suite overlooking Lake Michigan.
Soft piano music played gently from hidden speakers, and the air smelled of fresh white roses and lavender.
She sat up slowly, touching her lower abdomen. The sharp pain was gone, replaced by a soft, comfortable warmth.
“Easy,” a gentle voice spoke from across the room.
Gabriel walked in from the terrace, holding a tray with warm soup, fresh fruit, and a cup of herbal tea.
He wore a soft dark sweater and dark trousers, looking entirely different from the terrifying billionaire who had slammed Preston against a table eight hours ago.
He set the tray on the bedside table and sat down on the edge of the mattress.
“How are you feeling?” Gabriel asked softly.
“Better,” Mara admitted, her voice quiet. She looked around the breathtaking room. “Gabriel... where am I? Where are my clothes?”
“You’re at the Four Seasons,” Gabriel explained, reaching out to gently brush a lock of hair behind her ear. “Your clothes were ruined. I had my team bring a new wardrobe. Everything is soft linen and silk—doctor’s orders.”
Mara looked down at her hands, feeling overwhelmed. “The hospital bill... I don’t have insurance through Hargrove yet—”
“The hospital bill is paid,” Gabriel interrupted gently. “Hargrove Grand doesn’t exist anymore, Mara. I bought it last night. I fired Preston, and he’s currently sitting in a Cook County jail cell facing felony charges.”
Mara stared at him in complete shock. “You... you bought the entire hotel chain in one night?”
“I would have bought the entire city if it meant keeping you safe,” Gabriel said with absolute sincerity.
Mara swallowed hard, her hand moving down to cover her stomach again.
“Gabriel,” she whispered, looking up into his dark eyes. “Why did you leave seven months ago? Why didn’t you leave a real name?”
Gabriel’s expression darkened with deep pain. He reached out, taking her soft hand into his large, rough palm.
“Seven months ago, my elder brother was murdered by a rival syndicate in Europe,” Gabriel revealed quietly. “I inherited his assets, his company, and his enemies. I came to Chicago to hide while my security team neutralized the threat. I met you at the hotel during that snowstorm...”
He looked at her with intense devotion.
“I was a dangerous man living in dark shadows, Mara. I didn’t want those shadows to touch you. But the morning I left, I realized I couldn’t forget you. I left my crest ring because it carries my family’s legal protection. I intended to come back for you once the war was over.”
“I waited for months,” Mara said, a single tear slipping down her cheek. “I thought I was just a three-night mistake.”
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Gabriel reached out, his thumb gently wiping the tear from her skin.
“You were never a mistake, Mara,” Gabriel whispered. “You were the only clean thing in my entire life.”
