Chapter 257: I'm Sorry
The night before, Sophia had expressly asked Colin not to tell Gabriel about the incident with Sam being intimidated.
Seeing Gabriel's frank demeanor as he responded to her earlier, without a hint of guilt, Sophia felt a bit confused.
Was he just a great actor, or did he truly know nothing?
As the light turned green, Gabriel pressed lightly on the gas pedal, and the car moved smoothly along.
For a long while, Gabriel thought she wouldn't bring up the topic again, but then Sophia took a breath as if to speak.
When Colin arrived, he conducted a psychological assessment on Sam and discovered Sam might be suffering from anxiety-induced withdrawal.
Gabriel's hands nearly slipped off the steering wheel, panic threading its way through his veins. He managed tostay calm enough to pull the car over to the right and stop.
The moment he hit the brakes, Sophia, sitting in the backseat, was thrust forward by inertia, bumping into the back of the front seat.
"What did you just say?" Gabriel asked, turning to look at her, a network of red veins crystallizing in his deep-set eyes. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, the veins on the back of his hands standing out.
"Sam's been threatened," Sophia said succinctly, rubbing her forehead gently.
A tidal wave of emotions churned inside Gabriel.
He felt a mix of anger and guilt as it dawned on him that Sam had been intimidated without his knowledge.
With heavy breaths and beads of sweat forming on his forehead, Gabriel felt a suffocating pressure in his chest. He almost rolled down the window to catch his breath but then thought better of it, considering Sophia's health; he refrained.
Seeing the agony on his face, Sophia couldn't help but ask, "You didn't know?"
Gabriel was consumed with shame. Compared to Sophia, he felt utterly undeserving of the title of father.
He had vehemently blamed Sophia for faking her death and accused her of causing Sam's withdrawal, not realizing that he might be the real perpetrator behind Sam's condition.
With eyes red and a heart crammed with guilt, he managed to choke out an apology.
"I'm sorry."
Sophia thought she misheard his scratchy voice.
What did his apology mean?
"I misunderstood you before," Gabriel admitted.
Sophia understood but said nothing in response, turning her gaze toward the window instead.
"I failed to protect Sam; I bear a great responsibility. Don't worry, I'll find the person who threatened him."
He uttered the last sentence through clenched teeth.
He was determined to find the culprit, and whoever it was, Gabriel would show no mercy.
Sophia had her suspicions but felt it was unnecessary to share them with Gabriel. If he hadn't noticed anything all this time, it meant the culprit had left no trace. Besides, years had passed, and finding evidence now might be futile.
The most pressing issue was to erase the fear from Sam's heart and help him recover completely.
With both lost in their thoughts, Gabriel adjusted his emotions, suppressed them, and continued driving.
After dropping Sophia off at Flora Garden, she stepped out of the car holding a warm thermos. Her abdomen didn't hurt as much as it did initially.
"There's a heating pad in the bag; remember to use it when you get home," Gabriel reminded her.
Sophia's figure stiffened for a moment as she got out of the car. She gave a soft "hmm" without turning her head and walked away.
Gabriel drove quickly back home to find Sam already asleep.
Looking at his son’s peaceful face, Gabriel kissed his forehead and whispered softly, "I’m sorry, daddy's bad, I didn't realize in time that you were hurt, I’m sorry."
He slumped beside the bed, his shoulders trembling with the pain.
...
The next morning, Sophia received a message from Gabriel telling her she didn’t need to go to work that day.
After a good night's sleep, Sophia's spirits were revived, and her stomach pain had subsided.
Considering the workload of the new product launch, she decided to go to the office anyway.
But first, she needed to have a talk with Caroline.
"Keep an eye on the three kids at the daycare," she said.
Caroline, worried, asked, "What happened?"
Sophia recounted her near-miss at the bus station the previous night, explaining how she almost got drugged.
She was unsure whether the people involved were professional traffickers or specifically targeting her.
If the latter was true, she feared they might switch to kidnapping the three kids if they couldn't get to her.
The memory of the kids' previous abduction was still fresh in her mind.
"Okay, I'll watch them closely and won't let them wander off. You be careful too," Caroline promised.
Despite her concern, Caroline quipped, "How about I pick you up and drop you off from work every day?"
Sophia laughed, "You're not as tough as I am."
"What are you talking about? I might not be as tough, but I can still call the cops in an emergency," Caroline countered.
The seriousness of their conversation dissolved into a lighter mood.
Caroline went online and ordered a variety of self-defense items for Sophia.
Since Sophia's car was left behind, Caroline drove her to the office that day. She had even brought a can of gas for Sophia's car, added what she could, and then took it to a gas station to fill up.
Observing the refueled car, Caroline mused, "True safety for a woman lies in a full tank of gas and a wallet full of cash."
After the morning briefing, Alex came to update Gabriel on his task.
"Boss, regarding those brothers of Raskolnikov Rodion you asked me to check on, I've got some info. They’ve been keeping their noses clean; one's working in a fast-food joint, another's delivering food, and the rest are unemployed."
The ones who had attempted to drug Sophia had worn masks and hats, and it was dark outside. Even after reviewing the security footage, there were no clear leads.
Gabriel suspected it might be Raskolnikov Rodion's brothers seeking revenge, which is why he had tasked Alex with the investigation the previous night.
Were they truly staying out of trouble?
When Gabriel saw Sophia at the meeting, he realized she hadn't followed directions to take a leave of absence and rest at home.
The boss had walked in just fine, but his expression darkened unexpectedly.
Everyone was confused, their scalps tightening as they dared not breathe too loud.
Sophia, on stage, was earnestly explaining her design concepts.
The sales figures for Flora were good for these past two quarters - it was like a turnaround from near death. All the staff responsible for Flora heaved a sigh of relief.
Bonuses were finally in sight!
"Boss, what do you think?" Margaret asked Gabriel, her courage firming up, after Sophia finished her presentation.
Gabriel's expression softened slightly, and he nodded, "It's okay."
Margaret exhaled in relief.
As the meeting ended and attendees began to file out, Sophia was still packing up her things, and Gabriel was also still seated.
Her phone suddenly vibrated a few times, and she picked it up to look.
Gabriel said, "Taking a day off won't cripple the company."
Sophia didn't respond and continued packing.
"Do you want me to ask you in front of everyone?" he pressed.
Aside from Alex, Harrison, and Tiffany, no one else at the company knew about her relationship with Gabriel - and Sophia wanted to keep it that way.
That marriage was not a cherished memory for her.
She'd endure gossip about her conflicts with Tiffany, but the last thing she wanted was her marriage to Gabriel becoming a topic of conversation.
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