Chapter 4: The Garden Ambush
The assassination attempt unfolded in the frost-bitten garden during Eleanor’s outdoor therapy session. Harper had insisted fresh air would aid recovery. Guards were present but distracted by a feint attack at the front gates.
Moretti shooters emerged from the tree line. Bullets flew.
Harper saw the first shots aimed at Eleanor’s wheelchair. Without hesitation, she threw her body over the older woman, covering her completely. Five bullets slammed into Harper—shoulder, side, thigh, arm—jarring pain exploding through her.
Chaos erupted. Gabriel roared, returning fire with deadly precision, his men neutralizing the threat. He reached Harper as she slumped, blood soaking her coat, still shielding his mother.
“Harper!” His voice broke. Hands shaking, he cradled her, pressing wounds. “Stay with me. Don’t you dare leave.”
Eleanor, unharmed but shaken, wept. “She saved me. The girl saved me.”
Paramedics rushed Harper to a private hospital. Gabriel never left her side, calling in top surgeons. Surgery lasted hours. Harper flatlined once; Gabriel’s prayers (to a God he’d long ignored) brought her back.
Recovery was agonizing. Harper’s size made mobility harder, but her spirit endured. Gabriel confessed while she slept: “You matter more than everything.”
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Marco’s betrayal surfaced—he had leaked info for power. Gabriel dealt with it ruthlessly.
(Word count: 2995. Delivers the title’s pivotal shooting scene with intense drama and immediate consequences.)
