For a moment, Elena couldn't breathe.
Not because of the officer standing only a few feet away, not because of the questions waiting to spill into the room—
but because of the look in Gabriel's eyes.
It wasn't anger.
It wasn't shock.
It was recognition.
Someone had sent her a photograph tied to the worst night of her life.
And Gabriel recognized the shadow in it.
Her voice trembled despite her efforts to stay calm. "Who… who do you think sent this?"
Gabriel didn't answer immediately.
He set the phone down gently on the table, but his hand lingered on the screen like he was holding back the urge to crush it. His jaw flexed, and he inhaled slowly—as if measuring his words before speaking.
"Elena." His voice was steady, but something dark threaded through it. "The man in that picture… I've seen that outline before."
"Where?" she whispered.
He didn't get the chance to answer.
The officer cleared his throat from across the room, shuffling the papers he had been reviewing. "Mr. Thorne, if we could begin the formal questions—"
"Not yet," Gabriel replied, not even looking at him.
The officer blinked. "Sir, I understand this is difficult, but the sooner—"
"Not yet," Gabriel repeated, quieter but sharper. It wasn't a threat. It wasn't disrespect. It was authority spoken like a cold blade.
The officer hesitated, then stepped back, sensing he was intruding on something far more complicated than he walked in expecting.
Gabriel turned back to Elena, lowering his voice. "There's a name tied to that silhouette. But saying it before I'm certain will only put you at risk."
Her pulse quickened. "Risk from who? Gabriel, you can't keep giving me half-truths."
"And I can't give you a lie," he answered.
His honesty was a heavy weight, settling between them.
Elena rubbed her palms together, trying to steady herself. "Tell me what you know."
He exhaled slowly. "This isn't the first time Hale was threatened. Months ago, someone sent him messages asking for money—blackmail. It never reached the public. I only know because he approached me then, asking how to bury it."
Her eyebrows drew together. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Because it had nothing to do with you. And because Hale made enemies everywhere he went. I didn't want to drag you into his mess."
"But now I am dragged into it," she said softly. "Whoever sent this wants me involved."
His eyes flickered with something protective—almost desperate. "And that's exactly what worries me."
Before she could respond, the officer stepped forward again, clearing his throat pointedly. "Mr. Thorne, we don't need to intrude on your private matters, but Senator Hale's death involves witnesses who saw him arguing with a man wearing a dark suit outside your building. We need statements."
Elena tensed.
A man in a suit.
Outside their building.
Last night.
Her breath faltered. "Gabriel… I didn't see anyone outside except the company driver."
Gabriel looked at the officer. "Describe this man."
"Tall," the officer replied. "Possibly mid-thirties. Not enough facial detail. The cameras picked up movement, but the footage is partially corrupted."
Corrupted.
Elena's stomach twisted.
Whoever sent that photo…
Whoever threatened her…
had the ability to tamper with evidence.
Gabriel's expression darkened. "Convenient."
The officer didn't flinch. "That's exactly why we're here."
Gabriel shifted his gaze back to Elena. "You didn't leave the car at any point?"
She hesitated.
For only a second.
But it was enough.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "Elena."
"I stepped out for air," she admitted. "Just for a minute. I didn't see anything suspicious."
His jaw tightened. "You should have told me."
"I didn't want to worry you."
"Elena, someone sent you a threat. You think keeping quiet protects you?"
She looked down, feeling the weight of the moment press into her bones. "I just needed to breathe."
His expression softened—only slightly—but his frustration lingered like tension in the air.
The officer cleared his throat again. "Mrs. Thorne, did you step out of the vehicle anywhere near the senator?"
"No," she answered quickly. "Not even close."
"Did you see anyone following you?"
"No."
"Anyone approach you?"
"No."
The officer scribbled notes, his pen scraping lightly across the paper.
But Gabriel wasn't finished.
"Elena," he said quietly, "the picture they sent you—what time did it arrive?"
She checked her phone. "10:17 p.m."
Gabriel stiffened. "Hale left the building around ten."
The officer paused mid-writing.
A cold wave washed over Elena.
"You mean…" She swallowed. "The message came the moment he died?"
The officer didn't confirm it, but the silence said everything.
Gabriel straightened, shoulders taut. "We're done here. If you have more questions, they will go through our attorney."
The officer opened his mouth to argue, then thought better of it. "I'll send official requests later. For now, please stay reachable."
He left quietly, the door closing with a soft thud that felt far heavier than the sound itself.
Elena turned to Gabriel, breath trembling. "You think someone killed him because of what he found out yesterday?"
"No." He stepped closer, eyes locked on hers. "I think someone killed him because of what you found out yesterday."
Her blood turned cold.
"And whoever sent you that message," Gabriel continued, his voice dropping to a whisper edged with fear, "isn't warning you."
She stared at him, her heart pounding as if trying to escape her chest. "Then what are they doing?"
He held her gaze, his next words quiet but devastating.
"They're telling you they're already inside your life."
A chill crawled down her spine.
Elena's voice cracked. "Gabriel… who do you think it is?"
He didn't speak for a long time.
Then, in a voice that sounded like a wound reopening, he whispered a name she had never heard before:
"Adrian Black."
Her heart stilled.
Because even without knowing him, the way Gabriel said the name felt like a door she was never supposed to open.
---
➤ END OF CHAPTER 15
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