CHAPTER 132: CHAPTER 127: WELCOME TO THE LYONS (3)

"Elliot," Max said, lips twisting. He leaned back in his chair, hoping that after the ball and the Claymore Company meeting, he would have some free time. He was right; Damian was working him to the bone, and Elliot’s stupidity only added a nice sprinkle of overwork on top.

Gabriel was quiet for a moment, then set down his cup with a soft clink. "Now that you mention it... I remember something."

Damian’s gaze snapped to him, sharp. Gabriel didn’t flinch.

"I spent more time at the office last year," Gabriel said slowly. "That’s when I saw more of Elliot. He never asked questions or got too close in conversation, but he made himself visible. He insisted on doing small favors for me even when there was no reason."

Max let out a short breath through his nose. "Sounds like him."

Gabriel’s expression didn’t shift much, but something hardened in his voice. "One time... he came into my private office. No reason. No paperwork. "Just to let me know that George wanted to speak with me." He hesitated. "And he let his pheromones out." freёwebnovel.com

Damian’s jaw locked. Max’s smirk vanished.

"It wasn’t a mistake," Gabriel added. "He knew exactly what he was doing. He just stood there as if he were testing a theory. A lot of other alphas tried the same thing to see if the mark I had was real." He did not want to talk about Elliot’s open desire to have a relationship with him; Damian was already on the verge of killing someone.

"And you let him?" Damian’s voice was low, dangerous.

"I didn’t give him a reaction." Gabriel looked him straight in the eye. "I had the fake mark then. He didn’t receive a reaction from me, so he left while I had to spray air freshener after him."

Edward finally spoke, tone even. "So it discouraged him."

Gabriel nodded. "It bought me space. But he was interested. I wasn’t blind."

Max exhaled and rubbed at his brow. "Elliot’s an idiot, but he knows what he likes. And he always thinks he’s entitled to it."

Gabriel’s voice turned dry. "He’s not very subtle, is he?"

"Subtle?" Max scoffed. "Elliot thinks leaving his cologne in your office counts as courtship. He doesn’t understand boundaries, especially when they’re unspoken."

Max stood with a grimace. "I’ll pay him a visit. See how much he remembers. Or what he’s pretending to forget."

Gabriel didn’t move. He felt strangely cold now, like something had brushed too close to his skin.

"I’ll have Linnea transferred out today," Damian added, quieter now. "I need to know what was her plan,"

Gabriel looked up. "It wasn’t her fault."

"I don’t care," Damian said simply. "She was part of this. Even if she didn’t know it."

Gabriel’s last words hung in the air, but Damian’s attention had already shifted.

He turned, pacing toward the window with a sharpness to his steps. "We’ll deal with Elliot," he said, his voice clipped. "But he’s not the real concern."

Gabriel tilted his head, surprised that Damian was putting off dealing with Elliot. "You’re thinking about George."

Damian didn’t answer immediately. He clasped his hands behind his back, eyes scanning the city beyond the palace walls as if it might confess something to him.

"It doesn’t sit right," he said finally. "George has been quiet. Too quiet. After pushing for your marriage, after trying to tie you to Max through any means available, now nothing. No letters. No follow-up."

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed slightly. "It’s been weeks."

"Exactly," Damian said, turning back to face them. "George doesn’t let go of investments unless he’s already moved on to something else. And if he’s moved on, I need to know what he’s planning. Tomorrow is the perfect opportunity; if Elliot is present wherever George is, Edward will ensure that Astana does not let the young count at the meeting. There are plenty of reasons to do so."

He turned back to the room, running a hand through his hair, tussling it back. "Find Callahan too."

Edward stepped forward with a nod. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Discreetly. Use our people. I would like to know where he is, where he was until now, and why he disappeared in the first place."

Max made a quiet sound of agreement. "I wonder why George chose Elliot to help him. He is my cousin, but he has very little Claymore blood in his veins. If we get our hands on him alone, he will start talking right away."

Gabriel was silent, thoughtful. "George doesn’t have anything to gain by dragging Elliot into this. He always saw him as a liability."

Damian looked at him carefully. "Unless that liability became useful."

There was a long pause.

Finally, Damian straightened and added, "We won’t confront Elliot directly until I know what George knows and what he’s pretending not to."

Gabriel nodded. "You think George gave him permission."

"No," Damian said coldly. "But I think George gave him the space."

Max headed for the door again. "I’ll send word to George that I’d like a ’friendly’ meeting. He won’t say no to me. Not usually, but if he does, we have every right to be ready for whatever they plan."

Edward bowed slightly. "I’ll start the surveillance immediately."

When it was just Gabriel and Damian left in the room, silence settled again, heavy but no longer cold.

"You handle the information better than I thought," Damian said at last, quieter. "I apologize for earlier; I have no right to be upset about something that happened before our bond."

Gabriel met his gaze. "Thank you. I didn’t want you to think I was hiding something. It just... didn’t feel like it mattered, until now."

Damian’s jaw tightened slightly. "It matters. Anything involving you matters."

Gabriel looked in his eyes. "I’ll remember that next time." He knew that he would slowly gain trust in this man, but even now, days after meeting him as a person, he was more trustworthy than the majority of his family.

Damian’s voice softened not in volume, but in weight. "See that you do."