Chapter 121 Gabriel's Eyes Darkened
The parking lot in front of the hotel was spacious, but only a few cars were allowed to park there.
The distant hustle and bustle contrasted sharply with the surrounding quietness.
Jessica made an effort to lean her neck back, her eyes wide open as she watched Gabriel, who had just fastened her seatbelt without immediately moving away or saying a word.
Their gazes met for a long time, long enough for her to clearly see Gabriel's eyes being darkened.
She raised her hand, pulled over the extra men's windbreaker on her body, tugged the collar of the jacket forward, covered half of her face with it, and then stared at him again with a defensive look.
Having consumed alcohol herself, she was currently unable to detect whether there was a scent of alcohol on Gabriel, uncertain if he had imbibed just now.
Asher pulled up her jacket, collar, the deep ink color in Gabriel's eyes slowly faded. Looking at this occasionally sharp yet occasionally inattentive Gabriel, he suddenly stepped back, closed the car door, and casually unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt collar.
He never looked back, bypassed the car, opened the door on the driver's side, and got in.
As the door closed, Jessica suddenly felt cramped in the seemingly spacious car, and she instinctively moved a centimeter toward the door.
Her movement was subtle, thinking she wouldn't be noticed.
Gabriel glanced lightly at her, and Jessica quickly tugged at her jacket again, moving another centimeter.
As the engine started, Gabriel drove off and left with a parting remark, "Call your agent. Tell her to find a way to leave the hotel on her own. You don't need to go back."
Jessica finally turned her eyes to him, locking her gaze on Gabriel's face in the driver's seat. "Why?"
With one hand firmly on the steering wheel, Gabriel handed his phone to her side, looking ahead coldly. "Do you want to call her to leave early, or shall I send someone to rescue her?"
Jessica hesitated silently for a moment, suddenly understanding the implied meaning in his words. She quickly redirected her gaze ahead, picked up her phone, and dialed Mackenzie's number.
Mackenzie was still being persuaded on the other end, but at least she was somewhat sober. Jessica briefly explained the situation over the phone, asking her to find a way to leave first and deal with the endorsement matters after sobering up.
With Gabriel beside her, she couldn't complain too much or say more than necessary. It was when Mackenzie agreed to leave immediately that Jessica hung up.
In the entertainment industry, things were often not as clean as they seemed. Initially, Jessica and Mackenzie had come here thinking it was a legitimate business meeting, so they hadn't brought many people along.
But they had been careless.
Upon realizing that they were being pressured to drink, Jessica had already wanted to leave. However, since Mackenzie was still there, she couldn't just abandon the rare endorsement opportunity and Mackenzie.
She had thought of enduring it with the help of sobering medicine, but Gabriel's somewhat veiled warning made her quickly grasp the implications.
"How did you know I was at the Joyful Oasis Hotel?" After putting down her phone, Jessica looked at Gabriel driving, "Were you here for a social engagement today?"
Gabriel's windbreaker was on her, and he was only wearing a shirt with a few buttons undone at the collar. He looked casually lazy yet particularly attractive.
Thinking back, Gabriel had suddenly left after sharing a bowl of pasta at her place last time, and they hadn't been in touch these days. Now, sitting unexpectedly in his car, Jessica still wasn't mentally prepared.
Gabriel didn't answer, his gaze fixed straight ahead through the windshield. Suddenly, he asked, "What kind of advertisement endorsement were you discussing tonight?"
Jessica didn't feel the need to hide anything and truthfully replied, "It's KC, a new facial mask."
Gabriel asked, "Not the full brand line?"
"Of course not. For mature skincare brands like this, the endorsers are usually A-list celebrities. I haven't reached that level yet," Jessica said, not self-deprecating but stating the facts and assessing the situation.
As Gabriel drove past a roundabout ahead, he remarked, "Is this small brand worth risking your safety to attend a party?"
A small brand ?
For Jessica, it wasn't that minor at all.
But in the current situation, with her already leaving, the endorsement was surely lost, and there was nothing to complain about. She simply said, "I'll be more careful in the future."
Without needing to ask where she was going, the black Bentley was already heading towards her home. As they passed by the kindergarten, the car slowed down a bit.
Gabriel asked, "Not picking up Danielle?"
Jessica checked the time. "It's already 9:30 p.m. She must be asleep at the kindergarten. It's not good to wake her and the night shift teacher up. I have no work tomorrow afternoon, so I can pick her up early."
The vehicle passed by the kindergarten entrance and arrived at the entrance of her residential area. Before he drove into the neighborhood, Jessica quickly said, "You can drop me off here."
Knowing her temperament, Gabriel didn't force the car into the neighborhood. Just as she was about to take off the windbreaker, he spoke, "It's chilly at night. Keep the jacket on."
Jessica was indeed feeling cold, not having put her own jacket back on. With a long and large coat on her, she had to walk a bit of a distance from the neighborhood entrance to her building. Knowing he wouldn't mind the jacket, she gratefully accepted it without hesitation, feeling very warm in his clothes.
Earlier shoved into the car, she now wore the coat properly. Gabriel's windbreaker, draped over her, reached her calves, warming her significantly. The wind was indeed strong tonight. After getting out of the car, Jessica waved her hand through the car window at Gabriel and then turned around without looking back, jogging all the way into the neighborhood.
Gabriel didn't drive off immediately. Instead, he called Landon to ensure that the aftermath at the Joyful Oasis Hotel was handled properly. After hanging up, he noticed Jessica's phone left on the passenger seat.
Wrapped in her long and oversized coat, Jessica hurried into the building's hallway. The lights on the second and third floors had been out for the past two days. About to use her phone's flashlight, she realized it was missing after a brief search. Suddenly, the sound of staggering footsteps echoed in the hallway. Looking up, she saw two drunken middle-aged men leaning on each other, stumbling down the stairs.The two drunks had just come down from their home after drinking and were planning to find a foot massage parlor nearby to relax. Suddenly, they saw an exceptionally beautiful woman in the shabby hallway and immediately walked down with lecherous smiles, intending to approach Jessica.
"Beauty, where are you from? Come home with us for some fun?"
Before they could get closer, Jessica immediately retreated warily.
