Shadow

Chapter 28: Unveiling

A new day, a new hunt begun.
The vary next morning I woke up and again started with my treasure hunt. Of course, once Gabriel was off to his office. I worked like a mice looking for it’s favourite cheese. Searching every nook and corner of Gabriel’s desk. Not leaving a place.
And dang!
Its not like my hard work didn’t lead me to my destination. It did.
I did found a safe, camouflaged in between the piles of files. And a safe in office means of course it must be there to keep things ‘safe’ that Gabriel wants to protect from the eyes of this world.
But every door has its own key. And there must be some key to this safe too. Which again must be with Gabriel.
Let me elaborate.
It was a metal door safe with password of numeric digits. And there must be in total eight digits because as soon as I saw it, it blinked with eight blank hyphens.
And those mysterious eight digits must be date. Date of some occasion, event or, someone’s birthday.
My heart thumped when thought of whose birthday it might be.
Mine?
No, no, no.
Gabriel must not be obsessed to this extension where he set my birth date as password.

‘But he also camouflaged as your shadow.’

My inner Satan, did the sexiest dance and whispered seductively on my ears.
Well..
A little try wont do us any harm.
Finally making up my mind, I pressed my date of birth with trembling finger and through an automation system my stressed breath I held so long finally released.
My birth date is not the password.

‘Thank God. Gabriel is not as screwed as I took him to be.’

Clearing the field,  I re-entered Gabriel’s date of birth, but again it was  rejected too. I tried the day we got married, the day we met and several other things, but nothing worked.
Time was ticking. I already had wasted a good amount of time tilling tallying behind the passcode.
Gabriel might return soon.
These unwanted thoughts were fogging my brain and hanged the process. Clearing it I again gave it a try. This time around I tried a new date. A date I am most afraid off.
Or one may say when all this disaster begun.
15th of November 2024.
The day when I froze on ramp.
The day I felt someone is watching me.
The day when most probably Gabriel saw me for the first time. The vary day, that turned my world upside down.
And guess what?
Yess.
This passcode was accepted and click of lock coming undone buzzed my ears.
I froze.
Till the moment, I was taking things lightly on my half. For me, Gabriel was no doubt obsessed with me.
But not even in my wildest dream, I ever thought that his condition would be bad to this extent.
My fingers trembled, sweat beads covered my forehead and my mind went blank.
He remember every minor detail related to me. Every bit of it. And to him, the day he saw me marks an important day in history. This important where he set the date as passcode.
I covered my mouth in anticipation. The dare I had in me to check his safe or to take revenge, dissolved like salt does in water.
Locking back the safe, I carried myself back to my room with my near to melting ice wobbling legs.
And the first thing I did was, have a glass of chilled water to bring back some conscious back to my mind. The state of shock it had entered after the revelation is something to be worried about.
My mind was going on circles around what he might do to me, or what his intentions might be though, he haven’t laid his hands on me.
Yet.
And the sad truth of this world, intentions and reality never align together.
Or worst part if he hadn’t moved for so long, mockingly, he is a predator lazing before his hunt. Which is even more dangerous.
I committed a mistake. First and foremost one was to walk in his den on my own two legs and the even more big mistake was to marry him.
I barely knew him. His background, his family, his personality.

‘His obsession.’

My hyperactive inner voice screamed this time around.
No, no, no.
I have to be careful. The path I already have turned direction towards is no less than walking on eggshells.
I sat on the bed with a thump and stole a glance towards door. He would be here any minute.
I am breathing the air of same room as of my stalker. The deadly dangerous man. Who knows no limit.
I was floating deep in the woods of my thoughts when I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder. And before I can react, a rich, masculine, yet soft voice hit my ears.

“Sydney.”

Turning back I found the same English man, the only man who was reason of my current distress.
Suddenly coming face to face with the man who have enshrouded my thoughts, I jumped off my occupied seat an inch higher and my voice pitched a decibel too high.

“Gabriel.”

Nervousness danced over my skin. And more than that, fear did.
A deep rooted furrow, ran in between his brows looking at my reaction. He took a step towards me and vice versa, I took away from him.
But rather then proceeding, he opted to stay rooted to the spot.

“I thought we were above this stage.”

I know. He is mentioning this because of my last evenings act. I pulled a life saving act and nothing more and I might have feared him less, but the current revelation is too high for me to accept.

“We ne-never know what might come next in this kind of relationship.”

I stammered my way out. But finally I made it.
He looked at me for few seconds, before he dipped his head in agreement.

“You are right.”

Gabriel is really hard to read. One might not know when he actually got looped in the woven lie or when he is pretending to be.
I wasn’t sure if he believed me, but he didn’t pressed the issue any further.

“Done with packing?”

Taking few steps back, Gabriel undid his tie and threw it over the bed.
To be honest, he is not like this. He is behaving unusual. He is literally obsessed with keeping items in its meant place. And not gonna lie but, this behaviour was unusual.
I masked my surprise with a tight smile, full of sophistication and artificial charm.

“ Almost there. What about you?”

A simple head node, this is what I received in form of reply.
A ball of nerves formed a knot, which got tightened with every passing second. Does he suspect me? Did I not leave his office the way it was before I investigated? If he gets a whiff of my this little revenge plan, he will destroy my world with his own large hands.

“I will be off to see if I need anything else to be packed.”

I walked past Gabriel but something tucked me back. Looking back, I found him holding me by my wrist.
I looked at him with curiosity, intrigue or morbid questioning gaze..?
Does that matter, basically they are shades of each other.
He held me for an extra minute, before he turned back to me and I took a dive in his blue oceanic eyes.

“Umm.. Can I hug you for a while?”

I was not able to believe my ears. Is this for real? Is he for real. The man who always had his way without acknowledging anything as consent, is asking me whether he can hug me or not?
It was beyond one can imagine, of course for the one’s who knows Gabriel’s character.
I moved my head to the slightest and at once Gabriel let his body collide with mine.
And it was so sudden and with force that my feet stumbled. As a result we fell on the bed with Gabriel above me.

“Gabriel.”

I squeaked. But it was too late. He was already above me and major part of his body was burning my skin, wherever it came in contact with.
I tried to push him and get up but he tightened his hold around me.

“Hushhhhh.”

He hushed in my ears, before continuing.

“I wont do anything, but lets stay this way for some period of time.”

He exclaimed. And my body stiffened near to block of ice.
Gabriel is fire and I, am fire fly. I wish to be in his vicinity but at the same time his closeness is dangerous for me.

“I don’t want to go there.”

He murmured in my ears,  but it was clear enough to be easily heard.
I sighed and opened my mouth to suggest him to not go if he don’t wish so. But before I can, he continued.

“He will kidnap me once again.”

I stilled. Kidnap him?
What?
Is he a 4 year old kid that any man will randomly kidnap him?
Or is it some kind of buried trauma from the past?

“Are you okay?”

My struggles died as soon as I heard these words from him.
He didn’t replied, a second passed, followed by another and yet another when finally a sharp exhale left his mouth.

“No.”

I didn’t knew how to react. My stalker is trying to find peace in my arms and he is the same dangerous man who can cross any limit over his obsession.
How the fuck am I suppose to console him?

“Promise me.”

I remained tight lipped.

“You will protect me.”

I stared blankly at the ceiling.
This man might be dangerous, but I should never forget one thing. And that is, I am his weakness.
He would do anything, but not hurt me.
I smile crept on my face and I stroked my fingers over Gabriel’s axis.

“Of course. I will always do that.”

Revenge is on darling.




Hey my lovely readers,
I wish you all to be fine and healthy. I hope you all liked the update.

Thank you,
Your author,,
~Galen_Yana...♡