Jerrell pulled open the heavy glass door of the upscale cafe across from the hospital. He guided Gabriella inside, his hand hovering respectfully just behind her lower back.

He pulled out a chair by the large window and waited for her to sit down before taking the seat across from her.

Without asking, Jerrell looked at the waiter. "One skim latte, no sugar, and an oatmeal cookie, please."

Gabriella felt a sudden rush of warmth in her chest. He remembered. After ten years, he still remembered exactly how she took her coffee. The tight knot of anxiety in her stomach finally loosened.

Jerrell folded his hands on the marble table. His blue eyes held a gentle, scolding look.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back to New York?" he asked softly.

Gabriella bit the inside of her cheek. She stirred her coffee with the small wooden stick.

"I just finished my fellowship in California," she explained, looking down at her cup. "I wanted to get my apartment sorted out before I bothered anyone."

Jerrell sighed. He reached across the table. His long fingers gently brushed against her cheek as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

The physical contact made Gabriella's breath hitch. Her skin tingled where he touched her. It felt exactly like it did ten years ago in their high school library.

Desperate to hide the sudden flush on her neck, Gabriella quickly changed the subject.

"I had a terrible night yesterday," she blurted out. She gripped her coffee cup tightly. "I got picked up by this horrible, unlicensed driver at the airport."

She rapidly told him about the nightmare ride and the humiliating scene at the police station. She told him the driver was Emmett Kane.

The moment that name left her lips, the warmth in Jerrell's eyes vanished. His brow furrowed deeply.

He pulled his hand back and sat up straight. His voice became incredibly serious.

"Gabby, listen to me," Jerrell warned, leaning closer. "Stay far away from the Kane family. Especially Emmett."

Jerrell lowered his voice, looking around the cafe. He described Emmett's reputation in the Manhattan elite circles. He called him a ruthless playboy who destroyed lives for fun.

"Cosmos Dynamics is a tech giant, yes," Jerrell said, his jaw tight. "But the way Emmett built that empire... it was bloody. He has no morals."

Gabriella's stomach dropped. Her hands felt cold. She realized her decision to tear up that blank check this morning was the smartest thing she had ever done.

Before she could respond, a deafening roar of a V8 engine shattered the quiet atmosphere of the cafe.

A bright red Ferrari violently pulled up to the curb, parking illegally right on the yellow line outside the window.

The butterfly doors swung upward. Julian Croft jumped out. He was wearing a loud floral silk shirt and oversized sunglasses.

Julian spotted them through the glass. He waved his arms wildly and jogged into the cafe.

"You guys are having a secret reunion without me?" Julian yelled, slapping Jerrell hard on the shoulder.

Julian pulled off his sunglasses. He looked at Gabriella and let out an exaggerated, loud whistle.

"Damn, Gabby," Julian grinned. "You got way hotter than you were in high school."

Gabriella burst out laughing. The heavy, terrifying talk about Emmett Kane was instantly forgotten. Julian's chaotic energy was exactly what she needed.

Julian slammed his hands on the table. "I'm paying tonight. We are going to that new three-star Michelin place in Midtown. Welcome back dinner!"

Gabriella instinctively shook her head. "I can't, Julian. I have an early board meeting at the hospital tomorrow."

Jerrell placed his hand softly over hers. "It's just one dinner, Gabby. You need to relax. I promise I'll drive you home early and safe."

Looking at the eager faces of her two oldest friends, Gabriella couldn't find it in her heart to say no. She nodded slowly.

Julian snapped his fingers in excitement. He immediately pulled out his phone, dialing the restaurant manager to secure the VIP private dining room.

As the sun began to set over Manhattan, Jerrell drove his Porsche toward Midtown. Classical music played softly from the speakers. Jerrell reached over and turned the heater up two degrees, noticing Gabriella shivering slightly.

Gabriella looked out the window at the blurring neon lights. For the first time since she landed, she felt a genuine sense of anticipation for the night.

But she had no idea what Julian had done. Right after booking the table, Julian had opened his messages and casually sent the restaurant's GPS pin to Emmett Kane.

The waiter bowed respectfully and pushed open the heavy, carved wooden doors. Gabriella, Jerrell, and Julian walked into the private dining room. A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the round table.

Jerrell naturally pulled out the chair to the right of the main seat. He gestured for Gabriella to sit, then took the seat immediately to her left, positioning himself like a protective shield.

Julian threw himself into the chair across from them. He immediately started talking loudly about a wild yacht party he attended in the Hamptons last weekend.

Gabriella smiled politely, taking small sips of her sparkling water. The stories of trust funds and champagne towers felt entirely alien to her life as a doctor.

The waiter returned, trembling visibly as he carefully placed bowls of custom seafood bisque in front of each guest, the rich aroma filling the tense air.

Jerrell picked up his wine glass. He smiled at Gabriella, opening his mouth to propose a toast.

Suddenly, the heavy wooden doors of the private room were violently shoved open from the outside. They hit the wall with a loud bang.

Emmett walked in. He brought the freezing winter air of New York in with him. He was wearing a dark gray bespoke suit that made his broad shoulders look even more intimidating. His face was carved from ice.

The air in the room instantly evaporated. Julian choked on his oyster, coughing loudly into his napkin. He stared at Emmett with wide, terrified eyes.

Jerrell's face turned dark red. His blue eyes flashed with extreme, barely contained hatred.

Gabriella's hand jerked. Water splashed over the rim of her glass, landing on her silk skirt. She stared at the man, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Emmett completely ignored Jerrell's murderous glare. He walked straight toward the only empty chair left at the table-the one directly to Gabriella's right.

He pulled the chair out aggressively and sat down. His massive frame radiated a crushing physical dominance.

The heavy scent of cedar and tobacco instantly invaded Gabriella's personal space. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Her lungs burned.

Julian let out a nervous, high-pitched laugh.

"Hey, Emmett," Julian stuttered, his hands shaking. "I just sent the pin as a joke. I didn't think you'd actually show up."

Emmett slowly turned his head. He looked at Julian. His eyes were so sharp and deadly that Julian instantly snapped his mouth shut and looked down at his plate.

Gabriella took a deep breath. She decided the best strategy was to pretend the monster sitting next to her did not exist. She picked up her silver soup spoon.

Just as the edge of the spoon touched her lips, Emmett suddenly leaned in. His broad shoulder brushed hard against hers.

He reached out and grabbed her right wrist. His grip was like a steel vice. Gabriella gasped, trying to yank her arm back, but he was too strong.

While holding her wrist, Emmett leaned his head down. Right in front of the horrified eyes of Jerrell and Julian, Emmett opened his mouth and took the spoonful of soup directly from Gabriella's hand.

He swallowed slowly. His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. He leaned back, his face inches from hers.

"Too much salt," Emmett stated, his voice a low rumble. "Garbage."

Gabriella's face exploded in heat. Her cheeks burned furiously. The intense, forced physical intimacy of sharing the spoon made her stomach twist in knots.

She violently ripped her wrist out of his grip. She slammed the silver spoon down onto her porcelain plate. The loud clatter echoed in the silent room.

"Are you out of your mind?" Gabriella hissed through her teeth, leaning away from him. "Do you have zero basic table manners?"

Jerrell slammed both hands onto the table and shot up from his chair.

"Back off, Kane!" Jerrell shouted, his chest heaving. "Show some damn respect!"

Emmett did not even look at Jerrell. He lazily leaned back in his chair. He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a custom black smartphone.

He tapped the screen once and shoved the phone across the table, stopping it right in front of Gabriella.

The screen glowed brightly. It showed a text message thread. The last message Emmett had sent was marked with a bright red exclamation point, indicating it had been blocked.

Emmett's lips curled into a wicked, cruel smile.

"Tell me, Gabriella," Emmett's deep voice vibrated through the room. "Why did you block my number the second you walked out of my apartment this morning?"

The question hit the room like a bomb. Jerrell and Julian both snapped their heads toward Gabriella, their eyes wide with absolute shock.

The silence in the private dining room was deafening. Gabriella's brain spun wildly. She stared at the red exclamation mark on Emmett's phone, feeling the intense, burning stares of Jerrell and Julian on her skin.

Jerrell took a step toward her. His face was pale, his jaw tight.

"Gabby," Jerrell's voice shook with anger and confusion. "Why do you have his personal number? What happened this morning?"

Gabriella felt a suffocating pressure in her chest. She couldn't tell them about Charlee. She couldn't expose Eloise's family secrets.

"It was just... a misunderstanding from the police station," Gabriella stammered, her hands gripping the edge of the table.

Emmett let out a dark, mocking laugh. He looked at Jerrell with pure disgust.

"You sound like a controlling father, Bishop," Emmett sneered. "Are you always this pathetic?"

Before Jerrell could yell back, Emmett dropped a massive bomb.

"How is the wedding planning going, by the way?" Emmett asked casually, adjusting his watch. "I heard the Senator from Washington is very eager to marry his daughter off to you."

Jerrell's body jerked as if he had been shot. The anger in his blue eyes vanished, replaced by sheer panic. He instinctively looked at Gabriella.

Gabriella felt a physical blow to her stomach. The word "wedding" echoed in her ears. She stared at Jerrell, the man she thought was her perfect protector. The betrayal tasted like acid in the back of her throat.

The air pressure in the room dropped to zero. Julian, desperate to stop the bloodbath, grabbed his wine glass.

"Come on, guys," Julian laughed nervously, his forehead sweating. "Gabby just got back. Maybe she met some mystery guy in California! Is that why you two are fighting over her?"

Julian winked at Gabriella, trying to make a joke out of the nightmare.

Gabriella was pushed to her absolute limit. The humiliation from Emmett, the betrayal from Jerrell-she needed to end this right now. She made a reckless decision.

She straightened her spine. She turned her head and looked directly into Emmett's dark, dangerous eyes.

"Actually, yes," Gabriella lied, her voice loud and clear. "I have a boyfriend. We've been together for a while. He is a surgeon. He is kind, gentle, and he is definitely not an arrogant, psychotic billionaire."

The mocking smile on Emmett's face died instantly.

The temperature in the room plummeted. The dark storm that gathered in Emmett's eyes was terrifying. The raw, aggressive aura radiating from him made it physically hard for Gabriella to pull air into her lungs.

Emmett slowly stood up. His movements were smooth but carried the lethal threat of a predator about to strike. He brushed a piece of invisible lint off his suit jacket.

He looked down at Gabriella. His eyes were dead.

"Your taste is incredibly cheap," Emmett said. His voice was as cold as a Siberian blizzard.

He then turned his head, sweeping his gaze over Jerrell and Julian. The absolute contempt in his eyes made them both shrink back.

"By the way," Emmett announced, his voice echoing off the crystal chandelier. "Cosmos Dynamics just finalized the dark-pool acquisition of Europe's largest military defense contractor."

Jerrell and Julian stopped breathing. Their faces turned the color of chalk.

Emmett smirked at Jerrell. "Keep selling your body for political votes, Bishop. You're going to need them."

He casually scooped his custom black phone off the table without breaking stride, the screen going dark as it disappeared into his pocket. He turned around and walked toward the door.

"Enjoy your dinner, you pathetic parasites," he threw the words over his shoulder.

He grabbed the heavy wooden door and yanked it open. He stepped out and slammed it shut behind him. The massive bang shook the walls of the room.

Dead silence fell over the table.

Gabriella's heart was beating so hard it hurt. She stared at the closed door, a sudden, inexplicable wave of terror washing over her.

Jerrell collapsed into his chair. He buried his face in his hands. His perfect, golden-boy image was completely shattered.

Julian swallowed hard. He picked up his wine glass with a trembling hand and downed the whole thing.

"We just pissed off a monster," Julian whispered.

Gabriella looked down at the bowl of seafood bisque. The spot where Emmett had taken a bite stared back at her. Her stomach churned. She had completely lost her appetite.