Page 47 of His Untouchable Heart

Gabrielle didn’t go back to her computer after the judge left.

She stood for a moment near the edge of the workstation, her arms folded tightly across her stomach like she was holding herself together from the inside out. I remained quiet. Just gave her the space, waiting to see what she’d do.

After a long beat, she reached for her purse.

“You okay?” I asked, keeping my voice even.

She nodded a little too quickly. “Just need some fresh air.”

Her fingers fumbled slightly as she tucked her phone inside the front pocket. It wasn’t enough to draw attention, but I noticed. I’d noticed a lot of things lately.

Her complexion still hadn’t fully come back. She’d barely touched her coffee. And now this—an exit timed just after a conversation that left her visibly rattled.

She glanced at me. “The thought of Curtain showing up again has me… on edge.”

I didn’t blame her. The man had crossed a line the moment he decided to weaponize a photo. And we still didn’t know how deep he planned to go.

“You don’t need to explain,” I said gently. “Take the day if you need it. I’ve got the next two scans covered.”

She hesitated, caught between duty and something else she wasn’t ready to name. Then, with a quick decision, Gabrielle slung her purse over her shoulder and headed for the front doors. Halfway there, she paused and flashed me a small, playful smile.

I didn’t want her to leave without asking. “Since the judge mentioned it earlier—any updates on the provenance review forA Lady and Gentleman in Black?”

She stopped. A subtle shift in her posture, barely noticeable, but enough to register.

Turning slightly back toward me, she said, “I’ve got a contact in Switzerland digging into it.”

Her delivery was smooth. Factual. But there was something in the pause before she answered—calculation.

It wasn’t what she said. It was what she didn’t say.

I nodded slowly. “Good work.”

She gave a small nod in return, then turned fully toward the door.

“I’ll be back soon,” she said over her shoulder, softer now.

I watched her walk out, her frame tense but controlled, like she was holding herself to some internal deadline I couldn’t see. The front doors closed behind her with a soft whisper of glass and brushed steel.

I moved to the window and stood there a moment longer, watching the parking lot. The sun had crept high enough to cast clean reflections across the gallery’s floors, bouncing light into places that usually stayed quiet and dim.

But inside me, something remained unsettled.

She hadn’t lied.

But she wasn’t telling me everything.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

Gabrielle

The second the glass door of the gallery clicked shut behind me, I picked up my pace. My heels tapped hard against the pavement as I moved toward the car, trying to keep my breathing steady. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. Not because I thought Anthony was watching—but because if he was, I didn’t want him to see my face. I wasn’t ready for him to see the truth I hadn’t even confirmed yet.

By the time I slid into the driver’s seat, my fingers were shaking so badly that I dropped my keys twice. I finally pressed them into the ignition, turned the air on high, and sat there with both hands on the wheel like I needed something to tether me.

Then I pulled out my phone and hit Juliette’s number.

She answered on the second ring. “Please tell me this is a call for emotional support and not an emergency.”

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