The Thorne Heiress Unveiling Shadow novel Chapter 65

The flight back to New York was quiet and smooth. Martha Gable was now in the official custody of the U.S. Marshals. Kaelen had arranged it with a single, brutally efficient phone call before they left the inn.

The mission was a success. They had their witness. They had their link to the mysterious woman with the Ouroboros ring.

Before leaving, Kaelen summoned the still-trembling Sheriff Smith to their suite for one final conversation. The man had practically bowed as he entered the room.

Kaelen didn't waste time with pleasantries. He placed a bearer check on the table, made out to the Havenwood Community Church.

"This is a donation to compensate for the disruption to the bake sale and any distress your community may have experienced," Kaelen said in a neutral, business-like tone.

He then slid a second, personal check across the table, this one made out to the sheriff himself. The number written on it was obscene, enough to guarantee a life of quiet luxury.

Sheriff Smith stared at it, his eyes wide with disbelief and avarice. "Sir… I… I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"You don't have to say anything," Kaelen said, his voice suddenly dropping. It became as cold and hard as the barrel of a gun. "This is for your silence. And for your memory to fail you regarding anything you saw or heard today."

He leaned forward, his gaze pinning the terrified man in place. "But let me be perfectly clear. If I ever hear a single rumor about today's events, if the name ‘Martha Gable' is ever uttered again in this town, if her previous identity is ever compromised in any way… I will know it was you."

Kaelen watched her for a long time. She looked so young, so vulnerable in sleep, a stark contrast to the hidden queen, the digital phantom he now knew her to be.

The fierce, protective instinct he had felt in the honeymoon suite returned, stronger and clearer than before. It was no longer just an instinct; it was a certainty.

He quietly unbuckled his seatbelt, stood, and walked to the small closet at the front of the cabin. He retrieved his jacket, a soft, dark gray cashmere that carried the faint, clean scent of his cologne.

He returned to his seat. With movements that were uncharacteristically gentle, he carefully draped the jacket over her shoulders, tucking it around her like a blanket.