Chapter 124 He Warms Her Up
He drew back the curtains, and it wasn't until Gabriel saw Jessica clearly that he breathed a sigh of relief.
He had been very scared. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat. He thought she had truly disappeared.
"Why are you sitting here?" He asked softly as he approached.
Jessica remained seated by the window, silent and still. She leaned against one side of the wall, her dark eyes gazing at the round moon in the sky, her body devoid of strength. She had no desire to speak to him.
Gabriel noticed how thinly she was dressed. The wind lifted the edges of her clothes, which offered no protection against the cold.
He reached out to touch her and was shocked to find that her body was ice-cold, almost devoid of any warmth. It felt like a block of ice.
Without hesitation, Gabriel bent down and scooped her up, placing her on the bed and covering her with a blanket.
Under the light, he saw how severely she had been chilled. Her porcelain-white face was now pale. There was no trace of blood in her face, except for her cheeks, which were red from the cold. Her hands were so thin they seemed to be just bones, and they felt as cold as if they had just been taken out of a refrigerator.
"Why aren't you wearing more clothes?" Gabriel asked, a hint of anger in his voice. She should take care of her body. She must know that if she got sick, he would be heartbroken.
Jessica glanced at him, then shrank her petite body further into the blanket, ignoring him.
Trying to keep his voice calm, he asked, "Haven't you eaten anything all day? Breakfast, lunch, dinner?"
Jessica's calm eyes blinked, and she softly replied, "No."
Gabriel asked, "Why not?"
"No appetite," she said.
Gabriel knew it was just an excuse, but he felt helpless. He reached out again to touch Jessica's hand, finding it still as cold as before. There was no sign of it warming up.
"Why are you still so cold?" He murmured, placing her small hand in his large one, gently rubbing it. He then instructed the servant, "Have the kitchen prepare some light, tasty food and some hot cocoa."
He had noticed that she liked to drink hot cocoa when she was in a bad mood.
"You don't need to prepare anything." Jessica finally moved her eyelids and spoke. When she saw Gabriel's gaze on her, she lightly explained, "I don't want to eat."
"Go prepare it now." Gabriel insisted, ignoring her. After rubbing her hands for a while, he felt them finally warm up a bit, and his heart eased slightly.
"How do you feel? Warmer?" he asked.
"Not bad," Jessica replied.
Gabriel reached into the blanket to feel her body temperature doubtfully. When he realized she was still cold, he immediately turned on the heater in the room, took off his coat, and climbed into the bed, pulling her into his arms. He believed this was the quickest way to warm her up.
"What are you doing?" Jessica instinctively recoiled, her face turning pale with fear.
"Just warming you up." Gabriel said, looking at her with a doting gaze and speaking in an incredibly gentle tone. If she hadn't experienced it firsthand, she might have fallen for it again. But she wouldn't this time.
"No need, I can warm up on my own." Jessica refused without a second thought.
"If you could warm up on your own, it wouldn't take this long. Jessica, don't be stubborn." Gabriel said, holding her tightly and rubbing her back gently. With that double measure, Jessica's body soon warmed up.
Her complexion also became rosier. A bit of color returned to her cheeks, and she was no longer as deathly pale as before. However, her feet remained unbearably cold.
When Gabriel touched her feet, he frowned deeply, recalling that when he had carried her down from the window, her feet had been bare and unprotected.
Gabriel immediately grew anxious as he remembered how her feet had been injured by glass shards a few days ago,. "Do your feet still hurt?
Jessica shook her head. "I am fine, nothing hurts anymore."
She lied. Of course it still hurt! So many glass shards had been embedded in her feet and left deep wounds. It had only been a few days, so of course they hurt.
But she no longer wanted to show her vulnerability, helplessness, or pitiful state to him.
When someone cared, you were a treasure; when no one cared, you were just a joke. From now on, she didn't want to be a joke anymore.
At that moment, Gabriel's phone rang. It was Diana. Her voice was tearful and deeply sorrowful. "Gabriel, you finally answered. I've been so worried these past few days since I haven't been able to reach you."
Gabriel answered, "I instructed Oscar to take good care of you."
Diana cooed, "I don't want Oscar, I want you. Gabriel, are you really heartless enough to leave me alone? I had surgery days ago, but you haven't come to see me even once. You know how much I miss you. Every day, I wake up praying you'll come to see me. Gabriel, please, don't treat me like this. Don't be so cruel to me, okay?"
Jessica had no intention of eavesdropping, nor any interest in doing so.
But she could hear every word clearly, perhaps because they were so close, or because the room was so quiet.
Diana had surgery days ago, and he hadn't gone to see her even once? How could that be? Jessica found it hard to believe.
He probably cared deeply for Diana; it was impossible he would leave her alone in the hospital.
Gabriel said, "When you had your surgery, Oscar told me the doctor said it wasn't a big issue, and you'd recover in a few days. By now, you should be almost fully recovered. Pack your things. I'll have Oscar come pick you up tonight."
"Gabriel, are you serious? Are you really sending Oscar to pick me up?" Diana's voice was filled with joy.
Gabriel said, "Yes."
Diana was overjoyed when she heard that. She was extremely happy. Jessica clenched her fists, feeling even colder inside. It was as she expected. He couldn't wait any longer.
"Gabriel, I'm still here. Even if you're in a hurry, you could at least wait until we signed the papers and really got divorced," Jessica said angrily, glaring at him.
If she left, it would be her decision, not because Diana's arrival had forced her out.
"Don't go overboard. How much longer are you going to hurt me?" Jessica's voice grew more aggrieved as she spoke. Her heart ached, and tears began to fall again.
Gabriel said nothing. He reached out, patiently wiping away her tears, but not offering an explanation.
Meanwhile, Diana was over the moon. When she heard Jessica's angry voice, she felt even happier. She had waited for years, enduring and hoping, and now her time had finally come.
Starting today, she would finally be able to live openly in Gabriel's house. She was ecstatic.
However, as Diana was celebrating, Gabriel's next words nearly shattered her world. "Oscar will take you abroad. Don't come back. I will delete all contact with you."
