Chapter 5

Gabriela glanced up and found herself staring straight into Wesley's sharply defined, irritable features. One look, and she knew she'd wandered straight into a hornet's nest.

Brenden had already managed to provoke Wesley and been transferred on the spot. Determined to keep Wesley from suspecting her connection to Brenden,Gabriela rushed to distance herself.

"You're mistaken, Mr. Moss. There's nobody here l care about more than you," she blurted, pouring as much sincerity as she could muster into her voice.

The second the words left her mouth, she realized how misleading they sounded, and she fumbled for a way to explain. But then she caught a subtle shift in Wesley's expression-the faintest trace of satisfaction breaking through his annoyance.

Gabriela's eyes went wide with disbelief

So even someone as cold and untouchable as Wesley enjoyed a little flattery?

That was a revelation-a secret window into a side of him she'd never seen before.

Determined to make the most of it, she pressed on."Honestly, you look extra sharp and energized today."

Wesley straightened, giving a soft cough as if feeling shy. "Oh? Is that so? What makes you say that?"

Gabriela froze for half a second, realizing Wesley wasn't the type to accept half-baked compliments.

She cranked up the flattery, her voice sugary-sweet."Truly, Mr. Moss, you're the whole package. You walk into a room and everyone else just fades into the background. No wonder people fall for you."

Quick thinking saved her yet again.

Even though her compliments were blatantly over the top, Wesley actually looked pleased. "At least you know quality when you see it," he replied, his tone lighter than usual.

With that, he strode off, leaving Gabriela with a sense of relief.

Billy Clarke, Wesley's ever-serious assistant, stared at Gabriela in shock like she'd just performed some kind of magic trick. He stole a few more incredulous glances her way, struggling to process what he'd just seen. How had she managed to serve up such cringe-worthy praise-and not only get away with it,but somehow put Wesley in a good mood?

As far as Billy could remember, Wesley had always been cold toward his employees. Yet somehow,Gabriela managed to earn his favor.

Billy quietly filed Gabriela away in his mind as someone to watch.

Once Wesley was gone, Gabriela hurried to unlock her phone and returned to editing her message to Brenden.

Only thendid she notice his new username: "NotASaunders."

The update made her do a double take.

What was that supposed to mean? She was confused,but she quickly pushed the matter to the back of her mind.

Hesitantly, she typed, "Mr. Saunders, are you busy right now?"

Almost instantly, a reply came back. "Of course."

Gabriela couldn't risk approaching Brenden directly,fearful that her involvement with him would be exposed. She sent another message. "When do you have a moment? I need to swing by and píck up what I left behind."

This time, the chat stayed silent. No answer came,no matter how long she stared at her phone.

In the meantime, Brenden hadn't even finished emptying his desk before Billy swept in, practically marching him out of the office and shoving him straight into a waiting car-no chance to say goodbye,not even a backward glance at his old team.

A strange unease gnawed at Brenden's chest.

Wesley had looked him in the eye and promised a promotion-sworn he had a bright future. But why did it feel like there were landmines buried beneath every step from here on out?

He didn't dare voice his doubts. All he could do was grit his teeth and follow orders.

Gabriela,meanwhile,still hadn't managed to retrieve her belongings. She trudged home,heavy-hearted,only to walk through the door and be greeted by a cheerful Phyllis.

"Guess what, Gabriela? Dustin asked me to marry him,and the wedding's set for next month!" Phyllis lounged across the living room sofa, her hand outstretched to show off a monstrous diamond ring. The stone glittered ostentatiously as she gushed, "He absolutely insisted on getting me this one-ten whole carats! He must have dropped a fortune. Isn't it gigantic? Do you think it's too much to wear around?"

Phyllis loved to put on a sweet, innocent front for the world, but behind closed doors, she never bothered to hide her nastiest side from Gabriela.

The diamond perched on her finger was absurdly oversized, sparkling obnoxiously under the light.

Gabriela offered a bland smile. "It's honestly way too much. If I didn't know you, l'd assume you bought it just to flaunt. But that's exactly your style. The bigger and flashier, the better for you."

Phyllis's lips twisted, her temper barely in check. you actually jealous? Maybe you should focus on finding a boyfriend of your own, so I don't have to worry about you making a move on mine."

Gabriela fired back without missing a beat, "Please.The only one in this room desperate enough to steal someone's boyfriend is you. Trust me, your guy is the last person I'd go after."

Phyllis's expression hardened, her tone growing icy."Still pretending to be tough? From what I hear,your company's crawling with single guys. They may not measure up to Dustin, but they're enough for you. Just find anyone who's halfway decent and call it a day."

Phyllis gave Gabriela a once-over, her gaze sharp and full of hidden malice. "With your situation, Gabriela,you should really just settle for someone ordinary."

Back in school, Gabriela had always attracted her share of admirers. Out of sheer envy, she'd cooked up ugly rumors-accusing Gabriela of chasing money and even whispering that she secretly worked nights at a bar as an escort.

Whispers like that, repeated over and over, always found someone willing to believe them.

Little by little, the decent guys who'd onceliked Gabriela started keeping their distance. The only ones left were the bold, predatory types-harassing her,ridiculing her for pretending to be pure while selling herself on the side.

For years, Gabriela had lived in Phyllis's toxicshadow.

But now, with a coveted job at a top company.Gabriela finally had enough confidence to fight back.

She deliberately pulled out her phone-having recorded the entire exchange-and shoved it under Phyllis's nose.

"If you don't want Dustin finding out what a venomous snake you really are, I suggest you back off and stop messing with me."