Chapter 20

Wesley paused and glanced back, catching sight of Gabriela trailing further and further behind, her gaze flitting anxiously, clearly miles away in her own thoughts.

He shot her a look of irritation as he remarked, "I'll have Billy drive you home."

Without missing a beat, Gabriela blurted out,"Didn't you already have him send your car in for repairs, Mr.Moss?"

Wesley's face chilled, the corners of his mouth twitching. "I keep a spare."

A short while later, Gabriela found herself tucked into the plush back seat of the backup car, with Billy himself at the wheel. She offered Wesley a courteous farewell before the car slipped away from the curb.

As the city lights flickered past her window, curiosity finally won out. "Mr. Clarke, can I ask you something?"

Billy glanced up in the rearview mirror, his tone gentle and reassuring."Of course, Miss Haynes. What would you like to know?" Cabriela hesitated momertarily struck by how everyone in Wesley's orbit seemed unfailingly polite -no matter the hour, they treated their colleagues with a kind of old-school respect mhat telt out of place in her world

"Exactly how many cars does Mr. Moss ovin?" she ventured, lowaring her voice.

Billy chuckled, completely unbothered, 。not couniing what ha's got parked at his family estate.there are maybe seven or eight around here."

Gabrlala barely stifled a grumble, WVesley had so much money he could scatter luxury cars across the city-yet he still pinched pennies when it came to her overtime pay.

Honestly, what a cheapskate.

Back at Rosemont Gardens, Gabriela offered Billy a quick, grateful nod before climbing out of the car. She barely got her footing before she spotted Phyllis dragging Dustin along and craning her neckto peer into the back seat

Gabriela immediately saw through the act, rolled her ayes inwardly, and walked right past her without a word

Yet Phyllis stapped in front of her, feigning concern while openly sizing Gabriela up. "Why are you getting home this late, Gabriela? Shouldn't your boyfriend be a gentleman and walk you to the door?"

With a breezy shrug, Gabriela responded, "I'd rather not. There's someone here who loves to steal other people's men." She flashed a light, teasing grin as she went on, "My boyfriend's quite the catch. I'd hate for anyone to get ideas, so I'm keeping him out of sight."

Phyllis's lips twisted into a sulk, her eyes turning teary as she looked at Dustin and murmured in a vulnerable tone, "I'm just worried about you. Why are you being so hostile toward me?"

Dustin's jaw tightened, his irritation obvious as he shot Gabriela a stern look. "Gabriela, we've explained everything already. Why do you insist on stirring things up?"

Gabriela crossed her arms, coolly retorting, "Maybe try getting the story straight for once. Phyllis is the one making a scene, not me."

A sly smile tugged at Gabriela's lips as she added,"Honestly, I hope you two last forever. Let's just keep our distance-otherwise, Phyllis might start thinking you're following in her footsteps, juggling more than one person at a time."

Back in high school, everyone had gossiped nonstop when Dustin chased after Gabriela. He'd marched right into the middle of the campus with a dramatic bouquet of roses, boldly declaring his feelings for her in front of a crowd.

Gabriela had only ever felt a flicker of interest in him,but with so many eyes watching, she couldn't bring herself to shoot him down and embarrass him in public.

Just like that, her first relationship kicked off. But Gabriela's heart had never been in it, not really.

So when Dustin's betrayal finally came to light,she barely gave it a day's thought. Why the hell would she waste time mourning a jerk like that?

After putting that shameless pair in their place,Gabriela felt like a weight had lifted off her shoulders.At this point, even Wesley's refusal to pay her overtime couldn't dampen her spirits.

Once Gabriela had finished washing up and scrubbing away the last traces of her makeup, she tossed a wary glance at that over-the-top gown glimmering in the corner.Without a second thought, she fired off a message to "NotASaunders" on WhatsApp.

She wrote, "Mr. Saunders, tonight's banquet wrapped up smoothly. I'd like to return the dress-could you send me an address?" A beat later, his answer popped up, short and dismissive. "No need."

The blunt response sent a quick flutter through her chest.

Uncomfortable accepting such an extravagant gift from Brenden, Gabriela replied with careful politeness,"The dress is far too expensive. I honestly can't keep it."

After a brief pause, his reply landed-just as bold as ever. "It's already been worn. Who else am I going to give it to? Another girlfriend?"

Gabriela stared at her phone, nearly rolling her eyes at his gall.

Of course he had a collection of girlfriends, but did he have to make a spectacle of it every chance he got?What on earth was he trying to prove?

Gabriela took a steadying breath before offering,"How about I return the dress to the boutique and pay you back for it?"

She'd grown up learning to rely on herself-never taking handouts, always wary of the invisible strings money could attach to people. Favors made her uneasy; she preferred to keep things free of mess. Don't even think about it." His sharp, authoritative reply came.

Before she could type another word, his next message landed. "If you're so grateful, bring breakfast to the office tomorrow."

Her fingers shook with nerves as she typed, "You're coming to headquarters tomorrow?"

Not bothering to clarify, he responded, "If you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend, you'll need to do things my way. And don't forget-I'm still holding onto some of your things."

Irritation crawled beneath Gabriela's skin.

The infamous flirt had finally been shipped off, and now he was breezing back into headquarters-supposedly just for a breakfast?

But she had no choice. If she refused, she'd lose the fake boyfriend she'd schemed so hard to secure.

Worse, in her carelessness that night, she hadn't even realized she'd left something behind in hotel room 1205.

The stress left her restless all night, tossing and turning until two stark shadows appeared beneath her eyes by morning. Long before sunrise, Gabriela hauled herself up,packed two breakfast sets, and slipped into a quiet corner of the company plaza to wait.

She stood waiting, nerves prickling, clutching her bags as a steady stream of employees filed past.

Even Wesley had already swept into the building,his usual entourage in tow-yet Brenden still hadn't appeared.

Gabriela couldn't shake the feeling that Brenden had played her.

Choosing her words carefully, she messaged "NotASaunders," hoping for a smooth response. "Mr.Saunders, I've brought breakfast to the office."

Wesley, lingering by the elevator, felt his phone vibrate. Still in a surprisingly decent mood, he fired off a clipped response. "Take it to the CEO's office.For your boss."

Outside the building, Gabriela hunched on a cold stone bench, her legs tingling and numb. She gaped at the message,utterly baffled.

What exactly was Brenden plotting this time?

The previous night, he and Wesley had put her through a loyalty test she hadn't even seen coming. She'd offended Wesley by accident, and now she couldn't shake the feeling he'd be gunning for her today.

Securing a permanent spot at the company felt more impossible by the minute.

All she wanted was to steer clear of Wesley's radar,yet here Brenden was, practically pushing her straight into the lion's den. Did he honestly want to see her squirm?

Gabriela couldn't hold back anymore-she fired off an angry string of words on her phone, barely thinking about the fallout if her involvement with Brenden slipped out

Before she could finish, a light rain swept in out of nowhere, the cool droplets dousing her fury.

In the end, all her bravado fizzled, and she sent only a single, meek reply. "Okay."

She hated how gutless she was-then reconsidered.For an underling like her, delivering Wesley's breakfast wasn't just a task, but an honor.

Why would she bother getting upset? Life was still good. No sense in wasting energy on outrage.

She tucked her phone away, trying to collect herself,when a pair of gleaming black leather shoes suddenly came to a stop in front of her.

Just then, the rain above her vanished.

Blinking in surprise, Gabriela glanced up-and found Wesley standing over her, a sleek black designer umbrella held out to shield her, his steady gaze locked on her face.