The Stars Trilogy (83 page)

“Damn you!”

“Give up now and I may even be merciful and not press charges.”

“Liar!”

There was a loud banging on the door.

Finally!
“See? They’re here. You’re done, Gabby.”

“You bastard!”

She held the gun with both hands, visibly shaking as the main doors were rammed forcefully from the outside.

Gunshots exploded.

Chapter Thirty-five

“I can’t help but be worried again. Those rumors about you in Vegas with several women, those wild parties you hosted at your yacht, those frequent trips to the Playboy mansion...if they don’t stop, it’s going to ruin your marriage again, Dare. You know I never believed those rumors before but now...I don’t know. There are pictures of you with different women circulating all over the internet in very compromising situations. What’s happening? Are you  okay? I hope this will pass. I’d hate to see you go through another divorce. Why do you marry if you can’t keep your vows?

I’m beginning to think differently of you now. I don’t want that to happen.

I still know that there’s that good, good guy living inside you.

Maybe you need to take a break from Hollywood.”

CELINE WAS RESTING ON a lounge chair beside the infinity pool, pensively watching the azure vastness of the ocean, when her phone rang.

It was her mother.

“Mom?”

“Have you been watching TV?”

“You know I haven’t, Mom.”

“Well, open it now!”

“Why?”

“Just do it. At CNN!”

“Why? I don’t wanna watch TV,” she grumbled.

“It’s Dare!”

“Mom, please, I’m not interested to know who’s he with now.”

“It’s not that! There has been an incident with him and his current wife, Gabrielle. She’s been arrested!”

She sat up straight. “What?!”

“Get to the TV!”

“Okay, Mom, I’ll call you later! Bye!”

With her heart beating like a drum, she ran inside the villa and turned on the TV in the living room. The island was equipped with satellite TV. Several channels were covering the news.

“Investigators are in the middle of the most shocking homicide case in recent history. Supermodel Gabrielle Lopez and Hollywood superstar Dare Montgomery were the most famous couple when they tied the knot two years ago. When they announced they were getting a divorce six months ago, the world was not overly surprised. Gabrielle, after all, is Dare’s third wife following his failed marriages to Alana Christensen and Naiomi Renoir. But the entire world was shocked to a standstill when Gabrielle Lopez was arrested by the police for allegedly attempting to shoot her husband this afternoon inside her luxurious penthouse suite at the Sky View Tower, one of the most expensive residences in Beverly Hills...”

“The rumored bitter divorce battle between Hollywood superstar, Dare Montgomery and his third wife,  Supermodel Gabrielle Lopez hit breaking point and ended in violence this afternoon. Gabrielle was arrested for allegedly trying to shoot her husband with a .45 caliber gun in her penthouse suite at the Sky View Tower. She was taken into custody by the authorities amid paparazzi frenzy in front of the condominium building. The Beverly Hills police declined to elaborate on the matter as the investigation continues.”

“They were, by all appearances a Hollywood golden couple. Rolling in success, fame and fortune, Dare Montgomery and Gabrielle Lopez seemed to have it all. But cracks started to show in their marriage alongside rumors involving Dare Montgomery with various women. Being one of most famous men in the world, the media has always been fascinated by his personal life. Tabloids constantly run stories of his wild parties with models and actresses on his yacht, hotel suites and at the Playboy mansion. Finally, six months ago, the couple told the press that they were finally divorcing. Gabrielle Lopez shortly went out to declare that her husband is an incurable womanizer and it was because of this that they were splitting. Fast forward to this afternoon, she was arrested for allegedly trying to kill her husband in her own home at the swanky Sky View Tower, which Dare bought for her when they were married. What a tragic end to a charmed life.”

“What a shocking fall from grace for supermodel Gabrielle Lopez. Two years ago, she married one of the most eligible bachelors in the world, Hollywood superstar Dare Montgomery. Now, she may be facing an attempted murder charge for allegedly trying to kill her husband right inside her home. This incident happened in the middle of their rumored multi-million dollar divorce battle. The famous model who has been very vocal about her husband’s infidelities to the press was arrested by the police this afternoon. Her publicist declined to comment on the matter.”

Dare dropped the TV remote control and massaged his throbbing temple.

Kelsey put a cup of steaming black coffee on the table in front of him.

She quietly sat on an armchair, facing him.

The Feds and the police finally left him alone to get some rest after an extensive questioning.

It was near midnight and the news had not let up for a second. Almost every channel had been continuously featuring his and Gabrielle’s dirt for hours now. Tongues were wagging like mad at the most salacious Hollywood scandal of the moment. It was very bad. No amount of top-shelf PR can damage-control this one. It was all over the place. All over the world.

“What do you want to do now?” Kelsey asked him softly. Even his usually gung ho manager looked at a loss.

He sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Your lawyers are itching to nail her ass.”

Indeed, they were all rearing to fry Gabby. And they will, if he didn’t do something about it.

He shook his head.

“What do you mean?”

He stared at Kelsey. “I will not press charges. Let the law prosecute her but I won’t press charges.”

Kelsey abruptly stood up. “Are you out of your mind?! She wanted to murder you!”

“For the way I’ve treated her, yes. I deserved that, too.”

Kelsey stared at him in disbelief.

Cruz came into the room.

“He doesn’t want to press charges,” Kelsey told Cruz immediately.

His bodyguard looked at him levelly but didn’t comment.

“I will only ask two things from her. She has to sign our divorce agreement, leave LA and never come back. She still gets her prenup settlement.”

His manager and bodyguard stared agape at him.

“Since when did you develop a conscience this pure?” Cruz asked, shaking his head.

He smiled a little. “I have wronged Gabby. This is my way of making it right with her.”

“She could get twenty-five years minimum to life if you press charges as we have overwhelming evidence of premeditation. If you don’t press charges, the case will be severely weakened. She will likely use emotional abuse and blame the whole thing on you. The most she’ll get is 5 years with parole, or less,” Kelsey pointed out.

“Good. That is enough time for her to sort out her life and rebuild.”

He stood up and walked to the door.

“She will make you look the villain here, Dare! That is her only way out of this!”

“So be it, Kels. Besides, it is the truth. I was the villain in our relationship. I was a fucked up son of a bitch and I drove her to that. I believe I did.”

“What about you? Your reputation? Your endorsements? Your future projects?!”

“Please, Kels, let’s stop thinking about profit for now. I’m trying to be a better man here. Help me.”

Kelsey sighed, her face softening.  “I’m sorry, darling. Of course. Of course,” she nodded repeatedly.

He looked at Cruz. “To answer your question,” he smiled, “Since I finally found pure love.”

Dare had trouble sleeping as he relived the events that transpired this afternoon. He got out of it unscathed. But it was close. Very close.

He could have died today. Gabby could have carried out her brilliant plan successfully. But fate intervened.

After they heard the gunshots coming from the unit’s main entrance, the door was being kicked open.

Gabby was rattled and aimed the gun at the door.

He then threw the brass sculpture at her, hitting her hard on the side of her face. She cried out in pain and staggered, almost losing balance. More blood spurted from her head.

He then charged her like a linebacker and grabbed her hand holding the gun.

The gun went off, hitting one of the glass doors in the balcony.

Cruz burst into the room, ready to shoot.

“Don’t shoot!” he’d shouted as he restrained Gabby, gripping her wrists hard, hurting her.

Cruz moved swiftly and easily disarmed her. She was screaming like a madwoman, her strength, herculean. He was forced to truly manhandle her at that point to subdue her. He jabbed her in the stomach.

She collapsed on the floor, almost losing consciousness.

“Jesus!” Cruz exclaimed, his gun aimed at Gabby’s limp figure sprawled like a rag doll on the floor. His face was ashen as he stared in shock at her bloody face. It sure was a rare display of weakness from his bodyguard.

“You alright?” Cruz asked.

“Yeah. Call 911,” he said weakly, sagging against the railing.

Cruz took out his phone. “The police are coming. The Feds, too,” he said as he dialed 911.

It was over.

The paramedics, police and the feds arrived almost simultaneously. Gabrielle was given first aid and was taken out of the building with her hand cuffed to the stretcher.

He didn’t know where they took her afterward.

He remained within the suite as the police investigated the crime scene and took his statement.

The media had smelled a scoop and were outside the building within thirty minutes as the police cordoned off the main entrance.

Within an hour, he and Gabby were all over the internet.

His life was a total circus all over again.

He lay prone on his bed and closed his eyes. God, he was so tired.

He saw her smiling face.

Celine...

He imagined her walking toward him...with open arms...

His phone rang.

It was Uly. He sighed and answered it.

“ I heard what happened. Are you alright? I’ve been trying to contact you but you couldn’t be reached.”

He gave his phone to Cruz before the police arrived at the crime scene. He didn’t want the investigators to have it. It contained the damning evidence that would put Gabby away for life. He asked Cruz  to “clean” the phone before giving it back to him. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

“You need help? You want me to fly over?”

“No need to do that, brother, I can handle it. Thank you.”

“The Feds are all over my ass here. I’m—”

He interrupted Uly, not wanting to risk anything in this conversation. “Listen, we’ll talk when you get here, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll fly to LA as soon as I can.”

“Thanks, brother. I’ll see you.”

“Okay. Bye.”

Fighting the almost overwhelming urge to call Kelsey and inquire about Dare was pure torture.

Celine had been watching TV for the past three days, following the developments on the Gabby-Dare case that was making all news channels crazy.

Kelsey finally faced the press today in behalf of Dare and confirmed that he won’t be pressing any charges against his wife. This elicited violent reactions from people, especially from Dare’s fans who had been crying for justice for their idol. But many commended Dare for his merciful heart.

His statement read by Kelsey to the press was eloquent.
“In the light of the tragedy that has happened between me and Gabrielle, I beg for your understanding and kindness. Kindly grant us respite from judgment in these difficult times and extend to us your positive thoughts, that we will get through this without losing faith in the goodness of humanity. I have decided not to press charges against Gabrielle and just let the court handle the matter. I know that Gabrielle will get through this and will emerge a stronger person from all this.”