ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO THE BILLIONAIRE SINGLE DAD (Gabrielle and Damon) novel Chapter 149

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CHAPTER 149

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CHAPTER 149

GABRIELLE’S POV

I froze.

I didn’t know much about him, but I remembered he was the man questioning Damon in the video Selene had shown me.

If Damon lied to him to protect me, then I couldn’t trust him.

I walked to my side of the room before responding. “Okay. And?”

Silence.

“I need to speak to Damon,” Rocco said. “He hasn’t been returning my calls for weeks.”

I scoffed like his call didn’t affect me. “How does that concern me?”

“Why wouldn’t it concern you?” He countered. “You’re his wife after all.”

“And?” I asked. “I mean nothing to him, remember?”

Silence passed between us briefly.

“Oh, yes,” he spoke again. “I remember giving that footage to a friend. But I’m no fool, Gabrielle. I know you’re with him, and I know he got shot by your sister. Where was he before then?”

I swallowed, but still kept my voice calm.

“How should I know? If you really aren’t a fool you should have known that we broke up after your video.” I glanced at Damon and lowered my voice. “He’s still in surgery and he might not survive. So leave him alone. And tell me why you called.”

I didn’t bother asking how he got my phone number. Something told me that the details would be unpleasant.

Rocco didn’t answer immediately.

All I could hear was the faint static of the line and the quiet beeping of Damon’s monitor behind me.

Then he laughed softly. “You’re a terrible liar, Gabrielle.”

My jaw tightened. “I’m not lying.”

“Hmm.”

Another pause followed, longer this time.

“You lowered your voice just now,” he continued. “That means he survived and he’s close enough to hear you.”

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My stomach dropped.

I forced myself to stay quiet.

“So tell me,” Rocco went on, his tone almost conversational, “is he alive?”

My fingers tightened around the phone.

“Why do you care?” I asked coldly.

“Oh, I care very much.”

The way he said it made my skin crawl.

“You see,” he continued, “your husband owes me something.”

I glanced at Damon again, the rise and fall of his chest doing little to calm the sudden unease spreading through me.

“And what exactly would that be?” I asked.

Rocco hummed thoughtfully.

“A favor,” he said.

I frowned. “Then call him when he wakes up. If he does at all.”

“Ah,” he said lightly, “but that’s the problem.”

The line went quiet again.

Then his voice dropped, colder this time. “Your husband has been avoiding me long before he got shot. I doubt he would reach out to me when he recovers.”

I leaned against the wall, forcing myself to sound bored. “Well, if Damon is avoiding you, I’m sure he has

a reason.”

“Yes,” Rocco agreed. “He probably does. And I think it’s because of you. Not to sound like a jealous mistress, but he belonged to me first. I can’t do business without him. And it’s fucking up my money.”

He paused, exhaling deeply like he was trying to calm himself.

“I don’t like when someone fucks with my money, Gabrielle,” he continued. “And it’s affecting my partnerships with the other Dons. If it were anyone else, I’d have gotten their head on a platter. Advise him to call me when he wakes up.”

A chill ran down my spine.

“If he doesn’t call me back soon,” he continued, his voice almost pleasant, “I’ll have to assume he’s forgotten our arrangement.”

My grip on the phone tightened.

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“And when people forget agreements with me, Gabrielle…” he paused delibera

I’ll be sure to use his wife and his unborn child to my advantage.”

“…I remind them. And

My blood ran cold and suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. My free hand instinctively moved to my stomach before I could stop myself.

“How do you know about that?” I asked.

Rocco chuckled on the other end of the line.

“You think a man in my position doesn’t know things?” he said. “Information is a very useful currency,

Gabrielle.”

My heart pounded so loudly I was afraid he could somehow hear it through the phone.

“You’re bluffing,” I said, forcing my voice to stay calm. “You don’t know anything.”

“Hmm.”

The sound he made was thoughtful, almost amused. “Let’s test that theory, shall we?”

I didn’t respond.

“If I remember correctly,” he continued slowly, “your father owns Vanderbilt Shipping. It’s a very respectable business, and he has a clean reputation.”

My stomach twisted.

“But businesses like that still rely on international routes,” he went on. “Ports, customs, and clearances.”

A pause followed.

“It would be unfortunate,” Rocco said lightly, “if those routes suddenly started having… complications.”

My grip on the phone tightened. “You wouldn’t dare.”

His voice was calm. “Wouldn’t I? That’s the least I could do. I could expose a secret between Damon and me that would have rival families coming for his head. I could frame your father for a crime he didn’t commit. Hell, I could kill him right now if I felt like it.”

My knees weakened, and goosebumps formed on my skin. “No. Don’t you-”

“I’m offended, really,” he cut me off. “I don’t get the credit I deserve for being the good guy, and for keeping our secret all these years–ma va bene. Look outside the window. I sent him get–well–soon flowers.”

My heart leapt into my throat.

I walked to the window and slowly pushed the curtain aside.

A gasp escaped my lips when I saw a man standing with flowers on the walkway, waving at me.

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I took a quick step back. “What the fuck?”

He chuckled darkly. “That’s how easy I can find you. Now, close your eyes and imagine I sent a sniper instead of flowers.”

Chills crawled up my spine.

“I’m sure you’re getting my point now,” he said when I didn’t respond. “Damon might not understand fear anymore since he lost himself. But you do. And that’s why I’m speaking to you.”

I suddenly felt nauseous, my stomach twisting painfully. “What the fuck do you want from me?”

“I’m a reasonable man, Gabrielle,” he continued. “All I want is for Damon to call me. And for him keep to our agreement.”

“Well, he can’t,” I snapped. “So stop with the threats. He can’t even open his eyes, speak or sit up. How about you give him a fucking break?”

A pause.

Then he spoke. “I’m not an evil man like his father was. I understand he needs to recover. He’s useless to me as he is right now too. So I’m giving him a month to get his shit together. By the way, where is Rhys?”

I hesitated.

In the video I saw, Damon said his brother was dead. That had to mean Rocco was still in the dark about

Rhys.

“Who’s that?” I asked.

A pause followed.

He laughed. “I like you, Gabrielle. You’re smart. I’m sure you’ll tell Damon to do the right thing. One month and not a second after.”

Then the line went dead.

I released the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, and glanced at Damon again.

He was still unconscious, and completely unaware that another storm was already forming around him.

Whatever past he was running from… it had finally found us.

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