Chapter Sixteen

**GABRIEL'S POV**

I didn’t know what to expect when I packed my bags and came to New York. I hadn’t known that he was living with his…fiancée. No, Samantha. Calling her that…acknowledging that she would be walking my lover down the aisle no wasn’t something that I wanted to do. I sighed and sank into the sofa, listening intently as Oliver moved around his condo. I sighed and stood from my bed, deciding that the earlier this conversation was had the better.
I sauntered out of my room and into the kitchen, stopping in my tracks at the sight of Samantha cooking at the stove. She and Oliver were chatting away, and for a moment, I got a glimpse into what their lives would be like without me.
“Good morning, Gabriel,” she greeted, her sweet melodious voice jerking me back to reality.
I hazarded a smile. “Morning, Samantha.”
I pulled out a high chair at the large island, right next to Oliver, the smell of his aftershave drifting up my nose. I took a deep breath and sighed, barely resisting the urge to lean over and bury my face in his neck and breathe him in. Our seating placement didn’t go unnoticed by Samantha, and for a brief moment, I saw the light disappear from her eyes. Just for a moment, and then the light returned.”
“You guys must be hungry,” she said and set down two plates of food in front of us
I side-eyed Oliver as he immediately dug in, while I watched him for a few minutes before I started, my heart not settled by Samantha’s odd behavior. I took a hesitant bite of the food, letting the flavors melt on my tongue, but something felt off. The rich aroma of the dish couldn’t hide the faint, almost undetectable scent that sent a chill down my spine. It was subtle but unmistakable. It was poison. My heightened senses as my wolf alerted me instantly, and my stomach churned at the realization. I glanced over at Oliver, who was eating without a care in the world, unaware of the danger that lay on his plate.
I had to act fast.
“Samantha,” I said, my voice carefully controlled, “this is delicious. What did you put in it?”
She looked up at me, her face calm, almost too calm, with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh, just a little bit of this and that. An old family recipe.”
I nodded slowly, my mind racing. I had to get Oliver away from this food without arousing suspicion. But before I could come up with an excuse, I saw him reach for another forkful. I couldn’t let him take another bite.
“Oliver, wait,” I said, louder than I intended, grabbing his wrist just as the fork was about to reach his mouth.
He looked at me in surprise, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “Gabriel? What’s wrong?”
Samantha stiffened at the sound of my voice, her hand trembling as she placed a pot on the stove. She knew I had caught on.
“I think you’ve had enough,” I said, forcing a smile, trying to keep my tone light. “We have a big day ahead of us, and you shouldn’t overeat.”
Oliver frowned, clearly puzzled by my behavior. “Gabriel, I’m fine. What’s gotten into you?”
Before I could respond, the sound of a dish clattering onto the counter drew our attention. Samantha’s hands were shaking, her face pale as a sheet. She couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer.
“You know,” she whispered, her voice quivering. “You know, don’t you?”
Oliver’s confusion deepened, but I kept my gaze locked on Samantha. “What did you do, Samantha?” I asked, my voice low and dangerous.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she took a step back, her composure unraveling before us. “I didn’t want to, Gabriel. I didn’t want to hurt you. But I had no choice…”
“Explain,” I demanded, my patience wearing thin.
She shook her head, her hands flying to cover her face as sobs wracked her body. “I just wanted my life back. I wanted things to go back to the way they were. But I knew… I knew that he would never love me. Not the way he loves you.”
Oliver’s face drained of color as he realized the gravity of the situation. “Samantha, what are you saying? What did you do?”
She dropped to her knees, clutching the edge of the counter for support. “My father…he’s forcing me to marry you, Oliver. He said it’s the only way to secure our future, to keep our family in power. But I know… I know you’ll never truly be mine.”
Her confession sent a wave of dread crashing over me. “So you decided to poison us?” I asked, my voice filled with disbelief. “You thought killing me would solve your problems?”
She shook her head frantically, sobs wracking her frame. “No, no! I didn’t want to kill you! I just wanted to…to get you out of the way. The poison was meant to incapacitate you, Gabriel. To get you out of the picture long enough for me to convince Oliver to stay with me. I knew it was wrong, but I was desperate. I didn’t know what else to do.”
Oliver stared at her, his expression a mix of horror and sorrow. “Samantha, you could have killed us both. You could have ruined everything.”
Her tears flowed freely now, staining her cheeks as she looked up at him, pleading. “I’m so sorry, Oliver. I just… I didn’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you. My father…he’s going to do something terrible if I don’t marry you. I don’t know what, but I’m scared. I’m so scared…”
I felt a surge of anger rise within me, but it was tempered by a deep sadness. Samantha had been driven to this by fear, by the twisted devices of her father. But that didn’t excuse what she had done.
“Samantha,” I said, my voice softer now, “you need help. This isn’t the way to solve your problems. What you did was wrong, and you need to face the consequences.”
She sobbed harder, nodding in agreement. “I know… I know I messed up. I’m so sorry…”
Oliver finally moved, stepping around the island to kneel beside her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, his face full of empathy despite everything.
“We’ll figure this out, Samantha. But you need to stop listening to your father. You can’t let him control you like this.”
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with desperation. “But what about us? What about the wedding? What about everything?”
Oliver shook his head, his voice gentle but firm. “There is no us, Samantha. Not in the way you want. I’ll always care about you, but I’m in love with Gabriel. You have to understand that.”
The truth in his words seemed to shatter her, and she crumpled into him, sobbing uncontrollably. Oliver held her, his expression pained, as if he wished things could be different, but knowing they never could be. I stood there, watching the scene unfold, a mix of emotions swirling inside me. I felt anger, yes, but also pity for Samantha. She had been used, manipulated by her father, and driven to this dark place by forces beyond her control. But no matter how much I sympathized with her, I couldn’t forget what she had tried to do.
Finally, Samantha pulled away from Oliver, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’ll tell my father the wedding is off,” she said, her voice shaky but resolute. “I won’t let him control me anymore.”
Oliver nodded, relief washing over his features. “We’ll support you, Samantha. But you have to promise us that you won’t do anything like this ever again.”
She nodded, her face pale and drawn. “I promise. I’m so sorry…”
I stepped forward, my expression softening as I looked at her. “We’ll get through this. But you need to talk to someone, get help for what you’re going through.”
She met my gaze, and for the first time, I saw the broken woman behind the mask she had been wearing. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
As we stood there in the aftermath of her confession, I couldn’t help but wonder what the future held for all of us. The bonds that tied us together had been strained to the breaking point, and I knew that nothing would ever be the same. But in that moment, as the three of us faced the consequences of Samantha’s actions, I realized that we were all in this together…whether we liked it or not.