Chapter 8 - Eyes from the Shadows
Across the street from the preschool, parked beneath the heavy canopy of an oak tree, sat a sleek black armored SUV with heavily tinted windows.
In the backseat, Gabriel Romano sat in silence. He wore a dark charcoal wool coat, his hands resting on the silver head of a cane he rarely used. Beside him, Marco held a tablet displaying a live video feed transmitted from a concealed camera worn by one of Romano’s men standing near the school entrance.
On the small screen, Gabriel watched Ryan awkwardly help Lily glue glitter onto a cardboard flower. He watched Lily’s face light up with pure, unadulterated joy as she showed her father a drawing of a pink rabbit. He watched her laugh, her dark curls bouncing just like Emma’s used to when she was happy.
"The papers are ready, Mr. Romano," Marco said quietly, handing Gabriel a thick manila folder. "Our legal team drafted the full relinquishment of parental rights. Once the event ends, Ryan will be escorted to our office in Manhattan to sign them. He has already agreed to take the cash and leave for Florida tonight."
Gabriel kept his eyes fixed on the tablet screen. "And the background check on Claire?"
"Clean, sir," Marco replied smoothly. "No debts other than medical bills from Lily’s birth, which she pays religiously. No criminal record. No questionable associates. She works twelve hours a day between your house and the hotel just to pay rent on a small two-bedroom apartment in Queens."
Gabriel closed his eyes for a long moment, processing the information. He thought about his massive, empty mansion with its twelve dark bedrooms. He thought about the dusty, sealed room at the end of the hall that had been frozen in time for ten long years.
"Cancel her evening shifts at the hotel," Gabriel commanded softly.
Marco blinked, surprised. "Sir?"
"Double her salary at the estate," Gabriel continued, his voice dropping to a low, firm rumble. "Tell her she is required to live on the premises. The west wing apartment is fully furnished and empty. Lily needs a proper yard to play in, not a cramped alleyway in Queens."
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"Understood, Mr. Romano," Marco said, quickly noting down the instructions. "And Ryan?"
Gabriel opened his eyes, watching the live screen as Lily handed Ryan a paper crown she had made. "Ensure Ryan understands that if he ever sets foot in the state of New York again, the fifty thousand dollars will be the last money he ever spends."
