Chapter 4: The Unbreakable Sisterhood
Over the next week at the mountain haven, Gabriel watched the profound bond between his daughters unfold.
Elena was not Gabriel’s biological daughter; she was the orphaned child of Gabriel’s late business partner, Arthur Pendelton, who had died in a tragic accident three years earlier. Gabriel had taken Elena into his home as his ward, promising Arthur on his deathbed that she would never feel alone in the world.
Yet, during the dark weeks when Edmund had placed the surveillance device in the nursery, it was eight-year-old Elena who had stood as the sentinel.
One afternoon, while Isabella was happily painting watercolor butterflies on the sun-drenched porch with Mrs. Danvers, Gabriel sat beside Elena on the wooden dock overlooking the lake.
"Elena," Gabriel said softly, handing her a warm cup of cocoa. "I want to thank you."
Elena looked down at her cup, her brow furrowing with quiet humility. "For what, Uncle Gabriel?"
"For protecting Isabella when I was too blind to see what was happening," Gabriel replied, his voice heavy with self-reproach. "You held her every night at nine o'clock. You took on fear that wasn't yours to bear."
Elena shook her head, looking out across the sparkling water. "Arthur—my dad—always told me that being a family means you never let someone you love cry in the dark alone. Isabella is my little sister. I promised myself I wouldn't let anyone hurt her, even if the man with the key threatened to send me away."
Gabriel’s heart ached with profound admiration for the brave little girl beside him. He reached over and gently ruffled her brown hair.
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"Nobody is ever sending you away, Elena," Gabriel stated firmly. "You are not a guest in my home. You are my daughter, and as long as I draw breath, you will have a father who fights for you."
Tears glistened in Elena’s eyes, and for the first time since her father's passing, she leaned her head against Gabriel’s arm, allowing herself to simply be a child again.
