Chapter 90

Chapter90 His First Encounter With Gabriela

Wesley ended the voice call, reached for a bottle of wine, and poured a modest half-glass before stepping onto the balcony.

His heart condition kept alcohol to a rare indulgence,limited to the occasional sip of red wine.

Gently swirling the crimson liquid, he leaned against the railing, gazing up at the velvet night sky.

A luminous moon glowed overhead, reminiscent of the one that had illuminated his first encounter with Gabriela four years prior.

Those had been the darkest days of his life.

Gravely ill, with doctors issuing a grim prognosis, his usually carefree cousin Brenden had wailed as if the heavens were collapsing. fled,leaving behind a book.

After that, she vanished, and he never saw her again.

Four years later, she had come back into his life.

There was no need to hurry-after all, they had a lifetime ahead.

Wesley set down his wine glass, retrieved the book,and opened it on the coffee table.

He snapped a photo and shared it online.

On Gabriela's end, the call had cut off abruptly. She fired off a message. "Mr. Saunders, do I no longer need to read the book to you?"

No response came.

Suddenly, she noticed "NotASaunders" had posted a WhatsApp status update.

She'd never seen him post before and had even suspected he'd blocked her from his feed.

Curiosity piqued, she opened it and saw a photo. On a balcony sat a small table, holding half a glass of red wine and a book.

Gabriela's lips curved into a pout.

Brenden, usually a playboy, revealed an unexpectedly romantic side under the night's veil.

Her eyes sharpened suddenly.

The book on the table looked familiar.

Zooming in, she confirmed it was the same book she'd been reading moments earlier.

It was open to a page with a wavy blue underline highlighting the exact line that "NotASaunders" had sent her earlier.

"But every once in a while, you find someone who's iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare."

Gabriela magnified the image further and spotted her name scrawled beside the highlighted line.

Was this her book? The handwriting wasn't hers. What was Brenden playing at?

She scruinized the photo again. The balcony felt oddly familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint why.

After minutes of racking her brain, she gave up and messaged "NotASaunders" again. "Should I keep reading?"

Still, no reply came.

Just as Wesley posted the photo, a knock sounded at the door.

Loretta stood there, holding a bowl of soup.

"Wesley, you've looked exhausted lately. I made this for you and Brenden to boost your strength. Drink it,"she urged.

Wesley sighed. "I was just about to turn in,Grandma."

Since his previous serious illness, Loretta had taken to crafting all manner of peculiar tonics for him.

He appreciated her care but inwardly recoiled at the thought of consuming them.

Loretta fixed him with a stern glare. "No excuses.Drink it. Brenden's already finished his. Don't make me repeat myself."

Resigned, Wesley took the bowl and swallowed its contents in one go, wincing at the bitter taste.

Only when the bowl was empty did Loretta depart,satisfied.

The concoction left a warmth spreading through him.

Remembering how he'd cut off Gabriela's call,Wesley checked his phone and saw two unread messages.

Had she grown addicted to reading to him?

His gaze cooled. He finished his wine and poured another.

After three glasses, the heat of the alcohol spread through him, making his entire body feel extremely warm. He switched off the heater and leaned back on the sofa.

The moment he closed his eyes, the memory of that night surged back-Gabriela beneath him, soft and obedient, letting him take his fill.

Those intimate images replaying in his mind made him feel increasingly restless. He suddenly rose and headed for the bathroom. Even after a shower, the heat wouldn't fade. A dull ache pulsed at his temples,and drowsiness crept in.

He hadn't felt like this in years, not since he began taking meticulous care of his health.

Ten minutes passed, and instead of fading,the discomfort worsened.

Wesley got dressed and decided he needed to see a doctor.

Outside his bedroom, Loretta and MAiriam spoke in low voices.

"I just hope Wesley's body can take it," Loretta murmured, concern flickering in her eyes.

Miriam replied, "Don't worry."

When she decided the timing was right, she nudged Loretta toward the next step of their plan.

Loretta glanced at the dishes and the bowl of soup she was holding. "We've used this trick before.Will it still work?"

"Trust me," Miriam said confidently.

Just as their conversation ended, Brenden appeared,face flushed.

He tugged at his collar, fanning himself. "What did you give me earlier, Loretta? I feel hot all over."

"What exactly is wrong?" Loretta asked quickly.

Brenden hesitated, embarrassed. "Just... warm.Everywhere."

"That's a good thing! It's a normaI reaction after having that tonic soup." Loretta shot him a glare. "If you're not going to practice your exercises, then stay in your room and behave."

Thinking back to the day's training, Brenden's knees went weak.

Well, his muscles still ached from practice-he wasn't going anywhere.

Defeated, he returned to his room.

Meanwhile, Gabriela emerged from her shower and noticed "NotASaunders" still hadn't replied.

Unbothered, she grabbed her hair dryer, ready to go to bed after drying her hair.

Suddenly, a loud crash sounded from outside.

She quickly opened her door to look.

Her room was right next to Wesley's, and as she stepped out, she saw him standing in his doorway.

His hair was still damp, yet he was neatly dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, a suit jacket draped over his arm-looking ready to go out.

His expression was hard, his irritation plain.

Loretta stood beside him, her expression equally displeased.

Gabriela frowned as her gaze landed on the shattered plates scattered across the floor in Wesley's room.

What now?

Gabriela instantly regretted stepping outside, not wanting to get involved in their argument.

She was about to retreat when Loretta spotted her."Gabriela,come here."

Remembering how Loretta had recently coaxed her into sharing a room with Wesley, Gabriela felt reluctant to approach her.

As she tried to think of an excuse, Loretta came over and lowered her voice. "I just brought some food to Wesley, but l accidentally dropped the plates."Gabriela thought it was hardly worth fussing over.

Loretta went on, "Wesley is upset with me. Could you please help clean it up?"

Gabriela nodded. "No problem."

Loretta patted her hand. "Sorry to trouble you.I'll give you a gift tomorrow."

If things went according to plan tonight, Loretta intended to give her far more than a gift-perhaps even Wesley himself.

Gabriela stepped into Wesley's room and began gathering the broken pieces.

Her eyes wandered toward the small balcony table.

She hesitated, then stepped closer. A half-full glass of red wine and an open book sat there.

Gabriela froze.

It was no wonder the balcony in the photo shared by "NotASaunders" had looked familiar-it was Wesley's balcony. Could it be that "NotASaunders" was Wesley all along?