Chapter 293 My Relationship with Jessica is Fake
Gabriel set Jessica down when they got to a room.
That's when he noticed her eyes were all red and puffy.
"Hey, were you crying in my arms?" Gabriel gently cupped her face.
Jessica looked down, avoiding his gaze.
Even though she got it, Madison's words still stung.
She just wanted to help Vincent as a friend, but it turned into a mess.
Seeing her stay quiet, Gabriel knew she was still bummed out.
He reached out, gently pinching her cheek, and said, "If you need to cry, go ahead. My arms are here for you."
Jessica's eyes welled up, and she couldn't hold back the tears any longer.
She buried her face in Gabriel's chest, wrapping her arms around his lean waist, and started sobbing quietly.
Her crying was soft, like a kitten's mew.
The gentle sound made Gabriel's heart ache even more.
Soon, his shirt was soaked with her warm tears.
But Jessica didn't cry for long, just a little release.
A few minutes later, she looked up, her tear-filled eyes meeting Gabriel's.
Then, noticing his wet shirt, she awkwardly said, "Sorry, I got your shirt wet."
"Feeling better now?" he asked softly.
Jessica nodded.
She thought he'd blame her, but he didn't say a word of reproach and just took care of her.
This feeling of being cared for made Jessica's heart swell with warmth and a sense of belonging.
She wiped her tears and tucked her hair behind her ear, looking at Gabriel. "Will you laugh at me or blame me?"
Gabriel asked, "Why?"
Jessica said, "I messed up. Maybe I was wrong from the start. I shouldn't have agreed out of a moment of softness. In the end, I didn't help but caused a big misunderstanding. Gabriel, am I a complete failure?"
Jessica's mood was still low.
Gabriel rubbed her hair and held her close.
With a gaze full of heartache, he softly said, "Silly, you meant well. Besides, his mom's condition got better because of you, and that's huge. As for his sister, it's just a misunderstanding. Once it's cleared up, it'll be fine. And even if there's a mistake, it's not yours. It's hers. She should apologize."
"Really?" Jessica looked up, her big watery eyes pitifully gazing at Gabriel.
Gabriel's heart ached even more. "Of course, you did nothing wrong, so don't blame yourself."
"Okay." Jessica nodded, feeling a bit better.
After hugging for a few more minutes, Gabriel asked, "Feeling better now?"
Jessica nodded vigorously. "Yeah, much better."
"In that case, Ms. Morgan, shouldn't we discuss compensation?" Gabriel suddenly smiled.
"What compensation?"
Jessica seriously doubted her brain was working right. She didn't think she broke anything of his.
Gabriel pointed to the wet tear stain on his shirt and pretended to be pitiful. "This is a new shirt, just wore it today, and you cried all over it."
So that's what it was.
Looking again, Jessica saw it was pretty soaked.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, she asked, "So what do you want me to do?"
"It's simple; just help me wash it."
Jessica was about to agree when Gabriel quickly added, "But you gotta wash it at my place."
Jessica fell silent, knowing it wouldn't be that easy.
He always had a way to trick her.
"You're such a tease," Jessica complained.
"Only to you," Gabriel said with a grin.
Jessica turned around and noticed the room's decor. It was like a mini bedroom, complete with a sofa, bathroom, and bed.
Even some daily living stuff was fully equipped.
She'd been at the hospital for so long and didn't know there was such a place.
"What is this place?" she asked.
"My exclusive VIP room," Gabriel answered.
Jessica was instantly shocked. "I didn't know our hospital had VIP rooms like this."
Gabriel said, "Well, hospitals need to make money too. As long as I offer enough for the room, they're happy to give it to me."
So this was the power of money.
No wonder so many people went to great lengths to marry into wealthy families.
At that moment, her phone rang.
Jessica saw it was already 1:50, just ten minutes before her shift started.
"I have to go to work," she said.
Gabriel frowned slightly. "How about I get you some time off and take you out to relax this afternoon?"
Jessica said, "It's okay; I feel much better now. Besides, someone in the department took leave today. If I leave, only Tina will be there, and she won't be able to handle it alone. She always helps me when I need it, so I can't leave her hanging now."
Jessica made a good point, so Gabriel didn't push it.
"Then I'll take you downstairs."
"Okay."
On the other side, Madison looked at Vincent, both heartbroken and angry. "Vincent, how could you let them go? Don't you know Jessica and that other guy..."
Madison couldn't finish her sentence, afraid of hurting her brother.
"Madison, stop."
Vincent was about to explain, but Madison thought he was going to defend Jessica and interrupted him. "Vincent, she's so comfortable with him, it's like you're not even there, and you're still defending her? Vincent, wake up! She doesn't love you at all. She's just a..."
Before Madison could finish, Vincent couldn't hold back anymore and shouted, "Enough, stop right now."
Madison immediately teared up, feeling extremely wronged.
"Vincent, you've always spoiled and loved me since we were kids. Now you're scolding me for a woman who betrayed you. You're breaking my heart."
Vincent sighed helplessly, holding Madison's shoulders.
Then he patiently explained, "Madison, you misunderstood. Jessica isn't my girlfriend. We're pretending."
Madison's eyes widened in disbelief.
She asked, "Vincent, what did you say? Pretending?"
Vincent nodded, explaining, "Yeah, Mom was seriously ill this time. I know she always hoped I'd find a girlfriend and get married soon. I didn't want to disappoint her. So I asked Jessica to help and pretend to be my girlfriend."
Madison finally calmed down a bit but was still in shock.
However, neither Vincent nor Madison noticed that not far away, Alexis, leaning on her weak body, had heard their entire conversation.
