Gabriel’s POV

Gabriel listened carefully as he watched a wicked grin spread across Linda’s face. Fear couldn't help but grip him as he stared at her, he wasn't sure what she would say next.

Whatever she had in mind, whatever twisted strategic little plan was building up behind her lips, it made his spine twitch slightly. He hadn't seen that kind of look on her face in a long time, not even when his dad was around.

"A fake marriage," she said, folding her arms over her chest confidently. “That’s the move. It’s the best way to pull her in.”

I stared at her with a serious look. “A marriage, Linda?”

“Not a real one,” she replied smoothly. “Just the kind that looks real enough to convince the entire city and most importantly, the media.”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “And how exactly does that help me to get back Ava Morales?”

Linda smirked and stepped closer. “The best way to heal a broken heart is to mend it first.”

I scoffed, rubbing my chin with my hand. “But that’s the least of what I want.”

“I know,” she replied. “Which is why the healing is just the cover story, the smokescreen. Publicly, it looks like you're saving her. Secretly, you’re wrapping a chain around her neck.”

I sat back slowly, and the tension in my shoulders eased just slightly. I began to see it the way she was trying to sound it. The main point of the idea lay in the power of an illusion, so simple, but useful.

But still, there seemed to be issues with part of her plan. How would people see our relationship, especially since it's coming shortly after her break-up?

“You do realize she’s the ex-wife of my very public enemy?” I asked. My voice came out surprisingly dry. Probably the hatred I had for him, just the thought of Liam, made me sick. “How do you expect me to get her to say yes, not just to dinner, but to a damn relationship? A marriage?”

Linda’s smile didn’t waver one bit. If anything, it deepened as she found my confusion very inviting. “That’s the easiest part.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “How?”

She lifted a hand and flicked back a loose strand of hair. “You do what you’ve always done. You swoop in, play the card of a knight in shining armor. You offer her just enough warmth to catch her attention, and the moment she leans into it, you own her.”

I let out a low chuckle. “So I’m a playboy now?”

Linda shrugged. “A well-dressed one and a dangerous one, if I may add. Face it, Gabriel. No woman walks away the same after you.”

I shot her a sharp look, but she met it without flinching. She wasn’t wrong and she wasn’t backing down either. Something about how she stared back at me with confidence, not like I was her boss, but like we were peers. Normally, I wouldn't have stood for this, but in that moment, I couldn't help but find her confidence sexy.

I stood and paced to the windows, watching the city pulse under the early night sky. “You want me to romance her?”

“I want you to reel her in,” Linda corrected, following me with her eyes. “Soft words, stolen glances, shared drinks, whatever works. Let her think you’re her escape. Then we close the net.”

I ran a hand through my hair. I was deep in thought. This wasn’t my usual method. I didn’t lead with charm, I led with force. I preferred to have control over her, bend her to my will, but something about this, Ava, demanded more thought; he had to be perfect. Many years of planning have gone into this.

“She’s not like the others,” I said quietly.

“She doesn’t have to be. She just has to say yes.”

I turned back to Linda. She stood tall just beside my desk this time around. She looked perfectly composed with ambition burning deep in her eyes. I studied her for a moment longer. Before I knew it, my gaze shifted, and the worst part, I didn't want to look away.

My eyes fell on the curves beneath her suit. The sharp angle her collarbone formed, the way she stood, with so much confidence. She had a kind of cold demeanour behind her look; her beauty was different, like a wild brunette.

I snapped my focus back, clearing my throat. Linda gave me a knowing look, but she said nothing; she just flicked her hair back elegantly. This wasn’t the time for that.

I stepped closer to my desk. “Alright,” I said finally. “Where do we begin?”

Linda smiled. “I tracked her,” she said. “Not far, she’s still in the city, and I know exactly where she’ll most likely be.”

I raised a brow. “You what?”

She leaned in, her voice lowered, but it was still smooth.

“Let’s just say, I’ve been listening.”

I coughed, not sure whether to find that attractive or weird. Her intelligence was admirable, but very scary.

"So what now?" I finally asked.

"Now? Enough of the talking, it's time to take action."