Chapter 234: The Blinding Lip Print
"No, I don't agree," Diana snapped.
Gabriel ignored her, his tone stern. "Listen, Diana. You have two choices: accept the surgery or I'll send you back abroad without any compensation. You have three minutes to decide."
"No," Diana shook her head, "I won't choose either."
Gabriel turned to the window, his mood dark and cold. The snow outside was falling heavily, covering the city in white.
He remembered the look in Jessica's eyes as she reluctantly let him go, urging him to return quickly. He needed to resolve everything with Diana fast to avoid hurting Jessica.
Three minutes later, Gabriel turned back to Diana. "Have you decided?"
"Fine, I'll have the surgery," Diana finally agreed. "You promised to visit me once a week. Let's start today. I'm hungry, have a late-night snack with me."
Gabriel nodded. Soon, someone brought in the snack. Diana then took a few bites.
Noticing Gabriel wasn't eating, she asked, "Aren't you going to have some?"
"I'm not hungry. You go ahead," he replied.
"Okay." Diana continued eating.
When she finished, she looked at Gabriel calmly. "Thanks for staying. I'll cooperate with the doctors for the surgery. I know you want to go back. You can leave now."
She wheeled herself towards Gabriel and hugged him from behind. Just as he was about to push her away, she let go. "Go, I won't hold you back this time!"
Gabriel glanced at her and left. Outside, it was a snowy world. By the time he reached Jessica's house, it was already late.
The bed was warm. He held her and fell into a deep sleep.
In the morning, Jessica woke up in his arms. She smiled, got out of bed quietly, and went to the kitchen to make pasta for breakfast.
Gabriel woke up to the smell of food. He reached out but didn't feel her. He opened his eyes and left the bedroom.
Oscar arrived halfway through breakfast, carrying a stack of documents.
After breakfast, Jessica laid out Gabriel's clothes for him.
"I'm not going to the office today. I'll stay home with you," Gabriel said.
Jessica stepped forward and hugged him gently. "Gabriel, I'm really happy you want to stay. But since Oscar came all the way here, it must be important. I do want you to spend more time with me, but I don't want to hold you back from your work.
"Besides, what I want is more than just being with you for a little while."
"How much more?" he asked, his voice serious.
"I want a lifetime," she said.
"That's not enough," Gabriel replied. "I want to give you an eternity."
After Gabriel left, Jessica rested for a while and then started washing their clothes. His clothes were expensive and custom-made, so she soaked them in lukewarm water first.
If she hadn't washed his clothes herself, she wouldn't have seen it.
It was lipstick.
When she saw the lipstick on the back of his shirt, her hands started to shake. She just stood there, her mind going blank.
She felt a chill ran down her spine, even though the room was warm. She kept telling herself to stay calm, but how could she?
Looking back, everything made sense. No wonder he had been traveling so much for work, going abroad. No wonder, even when he was with her, there was always a trace of sadness in his eyes.
Five phone calls last night, and he was called away. Even this morning, there was the faint scent of another woman clinging to him.
Jessica clutched his shirt tightly. The unmistakable scent of women's perfume confirmed her fears. The signs had been there all along, but she hadn't wanted to see them.
She had been wrong, so wrong. The soft female voice she heard on the phone that time must have been real. He had lied to her, and she had foolishly believed him.
"Jessica, you're the biggest fool in the world," she told herself, holding the shirt without emotion.
She didn't know what she felt. Pain? Sadness? Despair? Her heart went silent. What she thought was the happiest, most romantic time of her life was an illusion. She had been deceived completely.
"Gabriel, how could you deceive me? I trusted you so much. Why?" she questioned in her heart.
This time, she didn't cry. She washed her face with cold water, slapped her cheeks hard, and then called Gabriel.
The call connected quickly, and his voice was full of joy. "Jessica!"
But Jessica gripped the phone tightly, biting her lip, unable to speak.
"Jessica, is that you?" Gabriel asked again.
Jessica gripped the phone tighter, her palms sweating. She took a deep breath and spoke with great difficulty. "It's me."
"Jessica, do you need something?" Gabriel asked.
