Page 28 of Claimed By the Boss

“And why is that?”

“You’re real to me.”

She didn’t quite know whathe meant, but at the same time she knew exactly what he meant. Pulling him inclose, she kissed him hard and didn’t want to let him go.

****

Several weeks later,Gabriel stood in Nora’s family home, and he saw the tears fill her eyes.

“They’ve changed so much.”

He went to her, grippingher shoulders. Her aunt and uncle hadn’t given any of this up without a fight.They had attempted to fight. Once they realized who was helping Nora, they hadtried to manipulate and blackmail him.

Nora wasn’t aware but heraunt and uncle had paid a visit to his office, without their lawyer present.Trudy had been told to never tell Nora, but she had been present at themeeting. At first, her aunt and uncle attempted to use fake naked images andold sex videos of Nora, to try and get him to pay them money.

At first, Gabriel had beenso shocked by what they were suggesting, he’d stayed quiet. They tried to makehim believe, or so they thought, that Nora was a troubled young woman who usedher body to get what she wanted. They went so far as to express that they werethe victims. Claiming she was a drunk and heavily into drugs, that men werecoming and going at all hours of the night, and they had to consider theirsafety. Once they had finished, clearly thinking they had won him over, Gabrielhad burst out laughing.

Nora had been a virginwith him. He knew her body intimately, and had even spoken to Milly’s father,who she helped to return his daughter to. He knew Nora better than anyone. Ithad been difficult for him to contain himself.

Trudy had given him astern look, and when he called them out of their bullshit lies and demanded tosee the evidence, he saw them floundering. Then they started to claim all otherkinds of lies, which disappeared when he handed them both the writtenconfessionhe got from the nurse who originally helped them,who was serving time in prison.

With nothing left to loseand being completely sober and clean, the nurse wanted to right his wrongs, so confessingto what the aunt and uncle asked him to do, they backed down. Providing theygave over everything, including the house, all copyrighted works, and allpossessions, he wouldn’t pursue criminal charges. The aunt and uncle were freeto live in the gutter, which was where they were now. Gabriel would never allowthem to hurt his woman again.

“What do you mean?”

Nora’s shoulders slumped.“Mom hated stark colors.”

The walls had been painteda deep red.

“She loved magnolia andpastel colors.” She glanced down. “Even the carpets are different. She wantedDad to always be able to write, and he couldn’t do it in a dark environment,and she always kept everything clean.”

Gabriel let her go as shemoved through the house, and he knew this was hurting her.

The aunt and uncle hadsold many of her parents’ possessions. Jewelry, furniture, even DVDcollections. He already had people hunting down everything they could find.

Each room Nora went inhurt her. Her aunt and uncle had changed so much, it no longer was the home sheremembered.

“I hate them,” Nora said,walking upstairs and stepping into a room filled with all kinds of cosmetics.It was like a storage room. “This was my room.”

She spun around. “I spentso many hours reading right here.” She walked over to the far window and took adeep breath. “And my bed was there. My bedroom was pink, a light shade of pink,with a deeper-colored carpet.”

“Did you love it?” heasked.

“Yeah, I did.” She sighed.“And now it’s a beauty room, filled with so many different cosmetics.” Sheshook her head. “I can’t believe this.”

“I’m sorry,” Gabriel said.

“No, no, it’s fine. Trudywarned me that there was going to be a chance I wasn’t going to like what Isaw.” She took a deep breath. “I’m going to check my parents’ old room.”

“Don’t,” Gabriel said.

“They took it.” She noddedher head. “Why? Why did they have to be so cruel?”

“Some people are, Baby.”

He went to her, grippingher shoulders.

Nora sunk against him. “Ihate them.”

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