Chapter 104: The Bait
Gabriel leaned against the table, his fingers drumming lightly against the surface.
His sharp eyes flickered between Diane and Leon before settling on Riot.
"The message has to be just tempting enough. Something that makes him think there’s a story bigger than Rachel’s death. A secret still buried."
Diane crossed her arms. "And what exactly are we ’leaking’ to the media?"
Gabriel smirked.
"A whisper about Rachel’s hidden accounts. Something only a handful of people would know about. And more importantly—something that suggests there’s someone still out there who knows the truth."
Leon’s brow furrowed. "You want him to think Rachel was hiding more than we uncovered?"
Gabriel nodded.
"He’s a journalist, which means he thrives on uncovering what’s hidden. If we let it slip that there’s a missing piece to the story, he won’t be able to resist."
Riot’s grin widened. "Damn, I almost feel bad for the guy. Almost."
Diane exhaled, thinking. It was a smart plan—too smart.
Which meant there was risk.
"What if he doesn’t take the bait?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Gabriel’s smirk didn’t vanish. "Then we give him a reason to."
Leon crossed his arms, still wary. "And if we can’t control how deep he digs?"
Gabriel met his eyes evenly. "Then we make sure he only finds what we want him to find."
A heavy silence settled between them, but it was clear—there was no turning back now.
Diane finally nodded. "Do it."
Gabriel pulled out his phone and walked toward the other room, already making the call. Riot was grinning, practically bouncing on his feet with excitement.
Leon sighed, rubbing his temple. "This is going to be a disaster."
Diane shot him a look. "No. It’s going to be controlled chaos."
Leon huffed. "Same thing."
Diane didn’t respond. Instead, she turned on her heel and headed down the hallway, slipping into Arthur’s room.
She needed a moment.
Arthur’s Bedroom
The room felt hollow without him.
Diane was standing by the window, staring out at the empty yard below.
The bed was still unmade from when he had last slept in it.
His favorite books were stacked neatly on the nightstand, the small wooden airplane he loved so much still sitting on the desk.
Her fingers traced the edge of his bed as she sank down onto the mattress. The silence was deafening.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she was alone with her thoughts.
And that was dangerous.
That douchebag Adrian.
Even as they planned their next move, she couldn’t shake the feeling that his survival was more than just an inconvenience—it was a problem.
A loose end.
A ghost of a past she couldn’t bury.
Her mind drifted back, further than she wanted.
To a time when things were different. When Adrian wasn’t just an enemy.
But something else.
Something worse.
She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the memories away.
He had always been a storm—unpredictable, reckless, intoxicating in all the ways he shouldn’t have been.
And for a brief, fleeting moment in her life, she had let herself get caught in it.
And now?
Now that storm was coming back for her.
She gritted her teeth, her nails digging into her palms.
She wasn’t that girl anymore.
The one who had been drawn to danger like a moth to a flame.
She was different. Stronger. Wiser.
And if Adrian thought he could haunt her, manipulate her—
He was wrong.
A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts.
Diane inhaled sharply, smoothing her expression before turning. "Come in."
The door creaked open, and Gabriel stepped inside.
His green eyes watched over her, reading her too easily, like he always did.
"You’re thinking too hard," he said simply.
Diane huffed a quiet laugh. "That’s a new complaint."
Gabriel walked over, leaning against the desk. "You’re thinking about him."
She didn’t deny it. "He’s a problem."
Gabriel studied her for a moment. "Not just for us."
Diane’s fingers tightened on the bed sheet. "No."
A beat of silence got pressed into the room... Then—
Gabriel lifted his head slightly. "He still gets under your skin."
Diane let out a slow breath. "He did." She turned to him, trying to sound as stable as she could. "But not anymore."
Gabriel watched her carefully, then nodded. "Good."
Something about the finality of his tone sent warmth through her chest.
Diane exhaled, standing up. "Did you make the call?"
Gabriel smirked. "The story’s out. Now, we wait for our little journalist to come running."
Diane’s lips curled into a small smile.
"Let’s make sure he runs right into us."
Gabriel was silent for a moment, but he looked too focused on her as if he were searching for something...something he had lost a long time ago.
Then, suddenly, he let out a long sigh, rubbing a hand down his face.
His usual confidence looked a little cracked, just slightly, just enough for Diane to see what he actually carried.
"I can’t do this," he muttered, his voice was too strained.
Diane frowned. "Do what?"
Gabriel looked at her, more vulnerable and open.
"Live with myself in this life if something happens to you."
Diane’s breath stopped in her throat.
His jaw tightened as he took a step closer.
"I’ve lost too much. And every time I think I can control the mess, something rips it away again. But you—" His voice faded before he caught himself.
"You’re the only thing keeping me from drowning in this."
Diane swallowed hard. "Gabriel—"
He shook his head.
"No, let me finish." His hands clenched at his sides.
"I should have never doubted you. Not in this life. Not in the other. I see it now—the way you’ve always tried to protect what’s yours, even when no one protected you."
His voice broke a bit as he whispered, "I should have been better for you."
Diane’s chest tightened, something deep inside her unraveled like a demon, trying to escape...
Slowly, she reached out, her fingers brushed his.
"We’re both still here," she whispered.
Gabriel smiled, and let out the air from his lungs that he was holding for too long.
Then, carefully, he curled his fingers around hers.
"I won’t doubt you again."