Gabriel's POV
Gabriel noticed Claire's absent-mindedness but he continued telling her his vision of what their home should be like in the hope to distract her and spark some joy in her. He hardly managed to break through the invisible wall.
Once home, Claire tried her best to make him comfortable. She was still excessively worried about his well-being. At last, Gabriel managed to calm her down and she sat down beside him, curling up on the sofa as he turned the tv on.
A phone call disturbed them. Claire answered with hesitation.
"Hi, uncle. Is everything alright?" Claire asked as she straightened up.
"Is everything alright?" Gabriel asked in a whisper. Claire gave him a nod and stood up, hurriedly leaving the room.
Gabriel didn't quite mean to eavesdrop when he followed Claire out to check on her.
"Are you sure that you're safe?" Claire asked quietly into the phone. "Okay. I'll see you the day after tomorrow. Take care, please." She turned around to find a pair of worried eyes on her.
"What happened?"
"The next hearing is the day after tomorrow," Claire said with a fake smile.
"What happened, Claire dear? You're worried about something."
"It's nothing else, cuore mio." Claire responded with a blatant lie. "Let's go back." Claire urged him. Part of Gabriel wanted to protest until he had the proper answer, but part of him was happy to live in an oblivious state where they could at least pretend that everything was alright.
He nodded and returned to cuddling on the sofa, gently caressing Claire's head.
The next day, Claire was keen to cook lunch for Gabriel while he hid in his study, for the first time since the shooting incident. He fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair before pacing across his room.
"Good morning, Gabriel." Mark came in with a smile.
"Morning, Mark." Gabriel answered but without a smile. His face was stern.
"Okay, what's going on?"
"Claire said that she fell down the stairs while I was away. She's bruised all over." Gabriel said honestly. "I don't understand how no one noticed it or thought of telling me."
"When was it?"
"I don't know exactly." Gabriel let out a sigh.
"I'll check on it." Mark nodded.
"And…" Gabriel hesitated. "My father isn't going to just let her be now that the trial has become a criminal lawsuit and since she's the key witness. Can you try to work out what he is planning?"
"Actually…" Mark paused himself. "I have been keeping tabs on him anyways."
"And?"
"He put a bounty on Claire's head."
Gabriel stopped pacing and stiffened up.
"How much?"
"It's been one million pounds for the past few days but since the first hearing, it has been raised to fifty million. I suspect that it'll be raised further if he doesn't get to her before the hearing tomorrow."
"How serious is it?" Gabriel asked as he bit his nails nervously.
"Harry has intersected at least one person who is currently held at the police station."
"Is Claire aware?"
"I do not know." Mark shook his head.
"She's smart. She probably knows about it." Gabriel concluded. "The question is how much does she know." Gabriel leaned back against his desk. "Find out if she saw anyone whilst we were away and if she received any anonymous messages or calls. Also…" Gabriel gulped knowing that what he was doing wasn't quite right. "Make sure that her uncle and his family are safe. I have an inkling that they aren't. And quadruple the security."
"Understood." Mark nodded.
"What are you conspiring about?" Claire asked jokingly as she walked into the room with a tray.
"Nothing." Gabriel answered with a smile, a little too quickly.
"I see. Sorry, Mark, I didn't realise you were around. Would you like to stick around for lunch?" Claire offered kindly.
"I should get going. There are a few things I have to attend, including the meeting of the board of directors. Someone needs to keep tabs on our current interim CEO."
"Tell them that I'll be attending the next one virtually." Gabriel said decisively. "I will be slowly returning to work in the next few weeks."
Claire's eyes were fixated on him but she hasn't commented on it. She had an almost poker face as she placed a tray on Gabriel's desk. But Gabriel still managed to notice her body tensed up and her disapproval of him returning to work so soon. It was not a fight she was willing to pick though.
"Of course." Mark nodded. He bid them farewell and left the study.
"I hope you don't mind if I quickly go and make a call, cuore mio." Claire said with a soft smile.
"No, of course not." Gabriel shook his head as he sat down by the desk. "Will you join me after?"
"If you wish." Claire left him alone. He had a strong gut feeling that something wasn't right. He left the study and walked down the hall only to hear some whispers. He appeared at the top of the stairs noticing Mark and Claire speaking quietly by the door. Claire looked anxious as she rubbed her neck and then bit her nails. Gabriel couldn't quite tell what they were speaking of. But he needed to know what was going on. He hated not knowing. He hated that Claire and Mark might have kept some secrets from him. Claire nodded and Mark left. As she mentioned, she called someone almost immediately after. As she finished the call she started walking up the stairs. She was looking down and didn't notice Gabriel until she reached the top of the stairs. A shy smile crept on her face.
"Is everything alright, cuore mio?" Claire asked him.
"Yes. You haven't come up in a while so I came out to check on you." Gabriel lied. He hated that he lied. But if it was the only way for him to know then so be it - he decided.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I spoke to Alex. He will be helping with the case a bit more from now on. Uncle Adam briefed him now. He wanted to meet me this afternoon to go over the plan for tomorrow's hearing."
"Oh, why doesn't he come over here?" Gabriel suggested.
"I was slightly hoping you'd say that." Claire admitted as they walked to Gabriel's study. "He was renting an apartment near uncle's place but he had some issues with it recently. He said that the pipe has burst. I wondered…" Claire said cautiously. Her body was tense and her voice was cautious and quiet.
"He can stay in the guest room." Gabriel said keenly watching as Claire's body relaxed a bit as she let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, cuore mio."
"I thought he was staying at your uncle's."
"No." Claire shook her head. "Alex decided to move out as he didn't want to infringe too much on his uncle's space. They were already working together, he didn't want them to live together as well."
"Ah, okay. He didn't mention anything to me."
"I sensed something was off during the call and he mentioned his troubles only after I nagged him enough. I'll message him back though if you're definitely okay with it."
"Of course. He is still my best friend, and now also my family. He is always welcome here, for as long as you want him around."
"Thank you, cuore mio. It shouldn't be longer than a few days by the sounds of things." Claire said reassuringly as they sat down and started eating.
"He can stay as long as you can stand him for." Gabriel said before starting to praise the food that Claire made.
Gabriel's uneasiness continued when Claire received yet another phone call and hurriedly excused herself to her study. She was even quieter and reserved afterwards, even after Alex came around.
Alex wasn't quite in the mood for banter either. He arrived quite late in the afternoon with a small suitcase and a briefcase, as well as a bottle of champagne and a box of chocolates.
After dinner, whilst Claire was taking her bath, Gabriel had a chance to speak to Alex on his own. The sombre mood was getting to him, and the tension in the room was so dense that it felt like it could be cut. Something was in the air and he was the only one who didn't know what it was.
"I know a leaky pipe wasn't the reason for you to come here." Gabriel said sternly. "What's going on?"
"Nothing besides a leaky pipe." Alex put up a facade which Gabriel has seen through straight away. He knew Alex too well to know that if it were true he would have replied with a joke or some horrible innuendo.
"Don't lie to me." Gabriel's annoyance was clear as his brows knitted and his forehead had deep rows across it. "Tell me now."
"Claire doesn't want you to worry." Alex said with a whimper, afraid of what was to happen if Claire knew that he broke his word to her.
"This is worrying me more. She's been all secretive and quiet, hiding away from me. I can't help her if I don't know what's going on. It infuriates me." Gabriel slammed his fist on the table, wincing straight after as sharp pain run through his wrist which wasn't still completely healed from the sprain.
"Don't stress out. She's not hiding anything from you that you need to know. She's genuinely worried that you're under too much stress and she's trying to resolve it the best she can on her own."
"So, what's going on?"
"I-…" Alex looked down. "I was being followed recently. And so were my dad, mum, and Jack. I've taken over most of the case now and I'm representing Claire tomorrow. My family has left for our lake house that's a little less traceable. But… the men were pretty much sitting at my doorstep and they were increasingly careless. Claire didn't like that. Not after what happened to you. She has said that she'll think of something and then she asked me to come here but to keep silent about it."
"Fuck." Gabriel uttered as he leaned back in the chair and covered his mouth with her face. "No wonder she's been so quiet and on the edge…"
"Actually…" Alex started but he bit his tongue straight away.
"Is there anything else?"
"I think something is up with aunt Leanne. She said something to my dad earlier but I didn't catch it."
"Did you see her whilst I was in the States?"
"No, I haven't. She mostly communicated with my dad and he passed things on to me. Why? Did something happen?"
"I don't know. Her temperament completely changed since I went away for those few days."
"It might be what I've already told you. Plus, she's been really upset over you and your condition."
"I know. I hate it. Plus, I feel like she still doesn't trust me."
"It's not a trust thing. It's her caring thing." Alex said in a reassuring tone.
Claire appeared in her nightgown looking at the two men that were so close to her, recognising their worried looks and a rather low mood.
"Goodnight, Alex. Give me a shout if you need anything." Gabriel said as he stood up.
"Goodnight, Alex." Claire said quietly as she waved to her cousin.
She gently wrapped her hand around Gabriel's arm as they've walked up to his bedroom, or rather their bedroom.