It was beyond challenging to get the will and courage to get up in the morning. Claire would have much rather preferred to stay in Gabriel's arms for the eternity than having to get up.
But she had plenty to do.
She dressed herself in the clothes that Gabriel has rescued and had in a storage. They felt alien to her. Her style has been purposely different in the months that she became Elise.
"Good morning, preziosa." Gabriel came out of the room with a wide grin on his face.
"How much Italian did you learn whilst I was away?"
"Nonna and dad taught me a few words." Gabriel hugged Claire from behind. "Like… il mio solo ed unico. l'amore della mia vita."
"That is so cheesy!" Claire turned around and kissed Gabriel on the tip of his nose. "Cuore mio."
Once dressed they left the apartment, men in familiar outfit and recognisable logo following them for their safety.
They've got some breakfast on the way, before finding a way towards where Rosa was.
Claire led the way through the suburban field towards a sheltered area and what seemed like a shed from a distance.
From outside, you couldn't tell there was any activity going on but as Claire followed the trees around and found the same concealed entrance to when they were learning how to shoot, she heard quiet rustling.
She walked into the shed looking building where she found a young man with a scar on his face sitting back in a chair looking at a computer in front of him, whilst Rosa was curled up on a makeshift bed. The man looked at them cautiously but as Rosa woke up and remained calm at the sight of Claire, yawning and stretching, the man relaxed again.
"Agent Summers." Claire smiled at the woman with a black curls that still seemed eerily unnatural but yet perfectly fitting to her face.
"Good to see you." Rosa tried to force a smile. It didn't seem like smiling was natural to her as her face automatically reverted to a slight frown.
"This is Gabriel." Claire introduced them. "And this is Rosa Summers from the International Crime Agency."
"Nice to meet you." Gabriel and Rosa mumbled as they shook each others hands. Claire followed Rosa across the area.
"Alexander Davey." The man introduced himself shaking Claire's and Gabriel's hands. "Rosa's colleague."
They shared the similar exchange as with Rosa who now moved across to the desk picking at some documents.
"We still didn't have any luck in finding Michael Moore." Rosa started carefully. "Do you know where he might be hiding?"
"No." Gabriel shook his head.
"That's a shame." Rosa grumbled.
"We are certain that he hasn't left the city. He isn't in his private residence nor the Moore Pharmaceuticals headquarters. We also checked anything under Rachael Moore's name but there was nothing."
"What happened with Rachael?" Gabriel asked as he realised that he never considered his step-mother in any of this.
"She's been surrounded by police and she hasn't been in contact with Michael Moore since at least the trial. Not since she was hospitalised."
"Hospitalised? What happened?" Gabriel raised his brows, failing to hide his interest.
"Your father is quite heavy-handed, isn't he?" Rosa asked directly. "Rachael Moore filed for divorce during the trial… I suspect he didn't like it."
"Rachael?" Claire asked quietly as she looked up at Gabriel.
"He married her within a few weeks of my mother's supposed death." Gabriel shrugged. "Never liked her but I guess even she was smart enough to try to escape."
"You have firearm license. Are you well skilled?" Rosa turned to Gabriel.
"Reasonably."
"Carry the gun with you at all times. Both of you." Rosa ordered. "My only question to you, Mr Moore, is whether you're aware of any other assets in other peoples names that Michael Moore might be using to hide?"
"I'm afraid that I do not." Gabriel shook his head.
"You mentioned Group X." Claire started cautiously. "Obviously, Michael Moore is posing the main risk to us right now, but how serious if a threat is Group X to us?"
"Michael Moore is definitely more imminent." Rosa agreed. "Group X is growing very rapidly. There are a few people you might be wary of but not in the murderous way. There's a few people working across Diamond Corporate that might want to try influence the direction of the company, but with the stocks still decreasing, it is unlikely that their interest will lie there."
"I'd say that it is unlikely that they will do anything directly. They have sufficient funds for now." Alex Davey said with confidence.
"How?"
"Tragically they kidnapped someone for ransom."
"Whom?"
"There is probably no harm in telling you." Alex leaned back in the chair. "It was Emilia Vincent. They wanted money from her husband, Christopher Hayden."
"Christopher Hayden is married?" Gabriel furrowed his brows then he looked down at Claire. "See, we're not the only ones with secret marriage." Gabriel turned back to Alex. "How much did Christopher lose?"
"£5 billion."
"And I thought that you were the only one that is so stupidly rich." Claire shook her head. "What happened with Emilia?"
"She was returned home safely. Group X is not interested in killing unless absolutely necessary." Rosa explained further.
"That's good." Claire let out a sigh of relief.
Although Claire seemed calm and collected on the inside, her mind started wandering and she started to think about what were the possible ways of ending this absurdity.
Gabriel engaged in a deep conversation with Rosa and Alex, asking questions and speaking his thoughts out loud.
Claire excused herself as a new plan started hatching in her mind.