CHAPTER 307: THAT OLD MAN IS STUBBORN.

Jeanne’s hands slipped from Gabriel’s collar as if all the strength had drained from her body. Her chest caved as if the air had been knocked out of her, and for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped.

’Dead... my baby girl is dead...’ The words echoed in her mind. Her knees gave out, and she dropped to the floor, her sobs racking her entire frame.

Gabriel stepped forward instinctively, his hand reaching toward her. But halfway there, he stopped himself, hesitated. His fingers curled into a fist, and he pulled his hand back, hardening his expression.

"There was no other way," he said flatly, as if detaching himself from her pain. "Your condition was critical. The doctors said the truth could break you mentally, emotionally. Maybe even kill you."

He paused, swallowing hard before forcing the rest out. "I didn’t know what else to do. I begged Dad for help. He was the one who came up with the idea. To save you, he decided the swap the babies. It was a secret that only two of us knew. He promised he wouldn’t mention it, that the truth would remain buried forever."

Jeanne’s tearful eyes flicked up, disbelief etched across her face. "You mean... Gervis and his wife didn’t even know about it. You took their son without even telling them."

"It wasn’t me," Gabriel snapped, bitterness rising in his throat. "It was all Dad’s plan. Gervis’s wife was also in labor that night. She was carrying twins. Dad convinced the doctor to do the switch. When she gave birth, he took one of her sons and gave him to us. The dead girl was passed off as theirs."

Jeanne’s lips trembled as her world shattered piece by piece. Truth, lies, betrayal—everything was tangled in a web she had never seen coming.

"That dead girl was our daughter," she shouted, her face contorting with rage. "How can you speak about her like she meant nothing?"

Gabriel’s expression remained cold, unmoved. "She is nothing now," he said without a hint of remorse. "She is gone. I did what I had to do to save you. If I hadn’t, do you think you’d even be standing here? You would have lost your mind... or your life. So no, I don’t regret it."

Jeanne recoiled as if he had slapped her. The sheer callousness in his voice made her stomach twist. "You are still trying to justify it?" she spat, rising shakily to her feet. "You want me to stay silent, to keep living this lie?"

Gabriel’s calm cracked slightly. "Yes. I want this buried," he snapped back. "Denis can never find out."

Jeanne stared at him, stunned.

"He shouldn’t know about it," Gabriel pressed. "If he knows the truth, he’ll walk away from us. He’ll hate us for lying to him and maybe even join hands with Augustine. He’ll take everything. He’ll never forgive us, Jeanne. Never. Are you ready for that? Are you ready to lose the only son you have?"

The words pierced her. Her knees wobbled under the weight of his warning. Images of Denis turning his back on her, his face filled with anger and hatred, were intolerable. She couldn’t breathe.

Tears spilled again. Her strength gave out, and she slumped onto the edge of the bed, clutching her chest as if trying to hold herself together. The truth was unbearable, but the fear of losing Denis was worse.

Gabriel immediately noticed the shift in Jeanne’s face. The fear of losing her son was evident in her face. It confirmed that he had just convinced her to bury the truth.

He was certain now—Jeanne wouldn’t breathe a word to Denis. With that reassurance, Gabriel eased his tone.

"Jeanne..." Sitting beside her, he took her hands. "I know it’s a lot to take in. But this is our reality. Our daughter is gone. And Denis is what we have now. He may not be ours by blood, but we raised him. He is our son in every way that matters. If this truth comes out, we could lose him."

The fear of that alone made Jeanne’s heart tremble. "No... he can’t turn his back on us," she whispered. "I won’t let that happen. He can never find out."

"Exactly," Gabriel said soothingly. "We have to keep this buried."

Jeanne nodded, wiping her tears. "I won’t bring it up again. I won’t tell him. He must never know. I can’t bear the thought of losing him."

Gabriel pulled her into his arms, holding her close. "It’s okay. You are doing the right thing."

But Jeanne suddenly tensed in his embrace as a memory of Dimitri speaking to the butler crossed her mind.

He sensed the tension in her body and pulled back slightly to look down at her. "What is it?" he asked, his brows furrowing with confusion.

"What about your father? I heard him say he was going to tell Augustine and Denis the truth."

Gabriel froze, the blood draining from his face. "What?" he barked with disbelief. "He said that?"

Jeanne nodded quickly. "He wants to record a confession. He is planning to reveal it all."

Gabriel shot to his feet, rage twisting his face. "That old has lost it," he spat. "After everything we have done to keep this secret, he is going to throw it away. I won’t let that happen."

He reached into his pocket and yanked out his phone, already searching for the number. But Jeanne rushed up, grabbing his arm before he could dial.

"Don’t," she pleaded. "Don’t act on impulse. You’ll make things worse. If you confront him like this, he’ll dig in harder. He might go straight to the boys just to spite you."

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. "Then what do you suggest? Sit back and let him blow everything up?"

"No," she said firmly. "Let me talk to him. I’ll go to him alone. I’ll try to reason with him. I’ll beg him, if I have to. He will listen to me. He has to."

Gabriel snorted. He had long stopped trusting Dimitri. That old man had once sworn to take the truth to the grave. Now, years later, he was ready to drag it all out, risking everything Gabriel had built.

"That old man is stubborn," Gabriel muttered. "Once he decides something, no one can stop him. You think he’ll listen to you? He won’t. He has made his decision. But I’ll make sure he regrets it. I know exactly how to shut him up."

Jeanne’s heart lurched at the threat. "No," she said quickly, stepping in front of him. "Let me try first. If I can’t convince him, you do whatever you think is best."

Gabriel stared at her for a beat. He thought his father might not listen to him, but that old man cared about Jeanne. Maybe he would change his mind after listening to Jeanne’s plea.

"Fine," he relented after a beat. "But this is your only chance. Make him understand. If he refuses to stay quiet..." His voice dropped, dangerous and cold. "I’ll handle it my way."

"He won’t," Jeanne cut in. "I’ll make sure of it."

He gave a curt nod and strode out of the room.

Left alone, Jeanne sank onto the edge of the bed. Her hands trembled, but her breath slowed as she steeled herself. "I won’t let you ruin everything I’ve built," she whispered fiercely. "Denis is my son—I carried him in my arms, nursed him, poured all my love into him. Just because the past holds a secret doesn’t mean it gets to undo the life we’ve shared. No one is going to come between us. I won’t let you turn him against his parents."

Her eyes burned with quiet fury. She was ready to face Dimitri.

Inside the study...

The buzz of Gabriel’s phone sliced through the silence, breaking his focus. He glanced toward the screen, distracted, and saw Tania’s name flashing with a new message. Curious, he unlocked the phone.

Her photo filled the screen. She was draped in a sheer, seductive nightdress that clung to her curves. The fabric teased more than it concealed, dipping low to expose the swell of her chest.

Gabriel’s eyes darted to the door. Still closed.

Relaxed, he sank back into the leather chair, phone still in hand. A faint smirk played on his lips as his eyes traced the lines of her body. He zoomed in, fingers brushing lightly over the screen, lingering on her bare thighs.

A familiar heat stirred in his core, the ache of desire flickering back to life.

Then her message appeared again: ’I bought this for you. Do you like it?’

He didn’t answer. He just stared, still half-lost in the memory of how her skin felt beneath his hands.

Another message followed: ’I miss you. You haven’t come since that night. Will you come tonight?’

Gabriel shifted in his place. He was overwhelmed by the urge to see her and feel her again. Ever since that night, he hadn’t laid a hand on her, and now, seeing her in that revealing dress, it took everything in him not to give in. Yet, a part of him hesitated. He knew she’d become too demanding if he agreed. Still, the pull of temptation was strong to resist.

His thumb hovered over the keyboard. Then, slowly, deliberately, he typed a single word: ’No.’

He hit send.