Chapter 282 Gabriel Drank it down
"Alright, let's ditch it."
Gabriel grabbed Jessica's hand and led her the other way.
Sarah's lips moved, but no words came out. She just stood there, shaking.
Then her phone buzzed. It was Diana.
"Hey, Diana," Sarah said, tears in her eyes.
Diana knew Sarah would get chewed out by Gabriel. No surprise there.
Diana said, "Told ya, today's Jessica ain't the same. She's got your bro wrapped around her finger. If we don't make a move now, we're toast."
"Diana, you're right. I'll do whatever you say."
"Good, then listen up." Diana said.
"Okay."
An hour later, the party was winding down, and folks were pretty much done eating.
Sarah had someone make some tomato soup and slipped the drug in when no one was looking.
After shaking it up, she carried the bowl over to Gabriel.
Gabriel's face darkened when he saw her.
Sarah flashed a smile, "Gabriel, I'm here to apologize."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? And what makes you think that's necessary?"
Sarah said, "I know I shouldn't have bad-mouthed Jessica. I was just jealous. Everyone loves her—Grandpa, you, even your parents. She's the star of the show, and I feel like a joke. My mom found out and chewed me out. I've thought about it a lot, and I know I was wrong."
She added, "Gabriel, I'm your cousin. Please forgive me. I made this tomato soup for you. Don't worry, I'll respect Jessica from now on and stay out of her way. If she doesn't like me, I'll avoid her."
Gabriel said, "Just this once. Don't let it happen again."
Sarah smiled with relief, "Thank you for forgiving me, Gabriel. So, this soup..."
Gabriel took it and chugged it.
He looked at Sarah again, "You're my cousin, so I'll look out for you. But if you disrespect Jessica again, you're done."
"Yes, Gabriel, I got it." Sarah nodded.
She took the bowl back, feeling smug, 'Jessica, your days are numbered!'
She pulled out her phone and called Diana, "Diana, it worked. Get ready."
"Really?" Diana asked, a bit skeptical.
"Yeah, I followed your plan. He bought my apology and drank the whole thing," Sarah said.
"Sarah, you sure?" Diana asked.
"Absolutely, Diana. I saw him drink it. It's done." Sarah insisted.
"Awesome, thanks, Sarah. You're the MVP here. Love ya." Diana grinned.
After downing the tomato soup, Gabriel felt a bit lighter. He wasn't totally hammered from the afternoon booze, but he'd had a fair amount. And with more drinks in the evening, he was still kinda tipsy.
As the guests were saying their goodbyes, Gabriel was hanging with Jonah, but soon he felt off. A wave of heat hit him, messing with his head. His face turned red, looking like he was plastered.
"You've had enough. Your mom and I got this. Go crash upstairs," Jonah said, right on cue.
Gabriel felt unusually hot and his head was pounding, so he didn't argue and headed to the bedroom.
Seeing him go in, Sarah quickly called Diana again, "Diana, hurry up. Gabriel's in the bedroom. Jessica's not there yet. Move it."
"Got it," Diana replied.
After hanging up, Diana checked herself in the bathroom. Satisfied with her look, she adjusted the black strap on her dress and gracefully headed to Gabriel and Jessica's bedroom.
The floor was carpeted, so Diana ditched her shoes and tiptoed inside.
Meanwhile, Sarah's small figure appeared on the second floor, and she locked the door from the outside. The lock was an antique padlock, only openable from the outside with a key. No way to open it from inside!
Inside the bedroom, Diana cautiously moved further in.
"Gabriel," she called softly, but the sofa was empty.
Thinking he might be in the bathroom, Diana checked there. No luck. Even the bed was empty.
Where the heck was Gabriel?
Diana grabbed her phone and called Sarah, "Where's Gabriel?"
"He went into the bedroom. I saw him," Sarah replied.
"How is that possible? I've searched everywhere, and he's not here," Diana fumed.
After all the setup, Gabriel was MIA. This was a disaster.
"That's impossible, Diana. I saw him go in," Sarah insisted.
"Did you leave at any point?" Diana asked.
Sarah slapped her forehead, "I did go downstairs for like two minutes, just a moment."
"Idiot, do you know what can happen in two minutes? Gabriel's not here, which means he left during those two minutes. He drank the soup, and the drug's in his system. It'll kick in soon. We need to find him fast," Diana said.
Otherwise, all their efforts would be wasted.
Sarah touched her head, looking troubled. "But Diana, I..."
She hesitated, not daring to continue.
Diana lost it. "If you have something to say, spit it out. Let me out right now."
Sarah had no choice but to admit, "I'm sorry, Diana. This lock can be locked directly, but I don't have the key!"
