CHAPTER 7
With Serena locked away, Gabriel turned his attention to the second phase of his mission: the total eradication of her influence from his life. He liquidated every asset she had touched, scrubbed her name from all corporate records, and issued a public statement condemning her actions.
He donated every cent she had tried to steal to a foundation dedicated to child advocacy and the protection of vulnerable minors in New York City. The media, initially hungry for more scandal, found themselves captivated by his pivot from scorned groom to dedicated, protective father.
Gabriel spent every afternoon picking Lily up from her private school, ignoring his board meetings and golfing trips to play with her in the park. The change in her was transformative; the shy, fearful little girl who had lived in the shadow of a cruel stepmother began to shine again.
“Daddy, can we go get ice cream in the city today?” Lily asked, jumping into the back seat of his Bentley with a bright, genuine smile. Gabriel laughed, a sound he hadn't made in years, and started the engine with a sense of peace he’d never known.
May you like
He realized that his wealth had always been a shield, but his love for his daughter was his sword and his armor. He no longer cared about the social circles or the status of being a high-society mogul; he cared only about being the man his daughter deserved.
The mansion, once filled with the tension of Serena’s presence, now echoed with the laughter of a father and child genuinely happy to be together. He had lost a wife, but he had reclaimed his life, and that was the greatest bargain he had ever made.
