Chapter 600 Chaos
On the way, Colin noticed Sophia tapping away on her phone, probably replying to Facebook messages.
"Gabriel?" he asked.
"Yeah," Sophia replied without looking up.
Colin kept driving. "Gabriel really came through this time, getting Logan legally nailed."
Sophia paused her typing, her fingers hovering over the screen.
Colin's eyes stayed on the road. "He tracked down Peter's family and got some solid info from Peter's daughter. That's how we nabbed Logan."
"Soph, Gabriel always goes the extra mile for you," he added.
Sophia's heart did a little flip. With everything going on, she hadn't really thought about it, but now that Colin mentioned it, she realized Gabriel had been there for her all along, quietly helping out.
This whole team effort to dig up the truth had kinda changed Colin's view of Gabriel.
Colin had picked up on Gabriel's feelings for Sophia, but it seemed like she was still on the fence.
Sophia nodded. "I'll make sure to thank him properly."
Colin just smiled and shook his head, saying nothing more.
When they pulled up to The Lancaster Manor, Sophia instinctively glanced towards the study after heading upstairs. No light. Gabriel wasn't back yet.
The kids were already out cold. Sophia checked on each of them before heading to her room to freshen up.
At eleven-thirty, she was lounging on her bed with a book when she heard a noise outside. She quickly put it down.
Opening the door, she saw Gabriel coming up the stairs.
"Not asleep yet?" Gabriel's voice was smooth, almost soothing in the quiet night.
Under the warm light, his chiseled face seemed softer, more approachable.
Tonight, he was rocking a pair of silver-framed glasses, adding a touch of charm to his usual cool vibe.
Sophia stood there as he walked over.
"What are you staring at?" He reached out and touched her forehead.
Sophia snapped back to reality, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. He must've been swamped lately.
It felt like ages since she'd really looked at Gabriel this closely.
His face seemed a bit leaner, making his features even sharper.
He was also slimmer than before.
"Gabriel," she called softly.
"Hmm?"
"Thank you."
Gabriel looked surprised for a second, then smiled and ruffled her hair.
"I've told you, your business is my business, Sophia. I don't like hearing you thank me, so cut it out."
Sophia pouted. "You messed up my hair!"
Gabriel chuckled, thinking Emma must've gotten her pouting from Sophia.
"It's fine; you're going to bed anyway."
Sophia rolled her eyes.
"How about I treat you to dinner tomorrow? Are you free?"
Gabriel's face lit up. "I'm free!"
Even if he wasn't, he'd make time.
"Then tomorrow at Avalier."
"Sounds good."
Sophia fixed her hair.
"I'm off to bed. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
The next day, Sophia was swamped at Fusion Dynamics Corporation. Near the end of the workday, Larry came rushing over.
"Sophia, Mr. Lancaster is here!"
Having been at Fusion Dynamics Corporation for a while, he wasn't blind to the sparks between Sophia and Gabriel.
"Okay," she replied.
Larry urged, "You should go quickly; don't keep Mr. Lancaster waiting."
Sophia said, "It's not even closing time yet."
"A few minutes early won't matter. Ms. Johnson likes you a lot; she won't mind."
Sophia stayed quiet.
"Go on, you need to be proactive about your dates."
Larry practically shoved Sophia out of the office, and she just shook her head, kinda amused.
As she walked downstairs with her bag, her steps got lighter and quicker. Whenever Gabriel was around, it felt like the world got a little brighter. As she got closer, her heart started doing that fluttery thing.
Gabriel flashed a smile. "Hop in."
He opened the car door like a total gentleman, and as she got in, he even made sure she didn't bump her head.
Today was their date. Gabriel had ditched Alex before the workday even ended just to pick her up.
It was still early, and the restaurant was pretty chill. Sophia picked a window seat, and they sat across from each other.
After ordering, Gabriel noticed she was totally zoned out, staring out the window. He followed her gaze and saw a guy selling flowers from a cart.
"I need to hit the restroom," he said. Sophia nodded.
Gabriel got up and left.
Feeling a bit bored, Sophia pulled out her phone and started scrolling through Facebook. She shot a message to Caroline.
Sophia: [Having dinner with Gabriel.]
Caroline replied almost instantly with a "smirking" emoji.
Sophia: [Treating Gabriel to dinner to say thanks for his help.]
Caroline: [Gotcha.]
Sophia didn't reply.
Then Rose started a group chat with just the three of them.
Rose: [Hey girls, wanna hang out tomorrow?]
Caroline: [Got classes.]
Sophia: [Work.]
Rose sent a "crying" emoji: [Guess I'm the only one with free time.]
Sophia was typing a reply when Gabriel came back.
She looked up and saw him holding a bouquet of champagne roses, the petals glistening with water droplets under the light.
"You..." She was surprised. Wasn't he just going to the restroom?
"Don't you like them?" Gabriel asked, looking a bit nervous.
Sophia remembered the anonymous bouquets she used to get. She thought they were from Jake, so she accepted them. Later, she found out they were from Gabriel and had tossed them in the trash. Back then, she didn't like Gabriel at all and still held a grudge against him.
But now, things were different.
When she was kidnapped, Gabriel had taken a knife for her and nearly lost his life. Since then, he'd been there for her, helping and protecting her in every way.
Sophia slowly reached out and took the bouquet.
Just then, Gabriel's phone rang.
Gabriel frowned, clearly annoyed by the interruption.
He didn't want to answer, but the persistent ringing was killing the vibe.
"Answer it; it might be important," Sophia said, taking the bouquet.
Gabriel nodded, pulled out his phone, and, seeing the number, glanced at Sophia before answering.
Sophia could tell something was off. Gabriel's glance had a hint of unease.
She placed the flowers on an empty chair and sipped her water slowly.
There was music playing around them, so she couldn't hear the voice on the other end of the call. But she saw Gabriel's brows furrow deeply.
"Okay, I understand. I'll send someone over."
Gabriel ended the call and turned to Sophia.
"Tiffany was doing a village livestream and got caught in an earthquake."
Sophia kept sipping her water.
Gabriel continued, "The call was from the hospital. She's hurt."
Sophia still didn't say anything.
She didn't know what to say.
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