Chapter 424 Daddy's Kiss
"Don't drag me, I gotta ask Mr. Harriman when he's planning to marry my artist," Lynn said, pretending to struggle in the car but not really trying to get out.
Zoey acted like she was pushing and shoving too, but neither of them actually wanted to leave the car to ask.
Jessica had just reached the car when she heard a little voice shout, "Mommy!"
The window rolled down, and Danielle almost climbed out of the passenger seat to jump into Jessica's arms. Gabriel quickly pulled her back. "Sit properly, it's dangerous to hang out the window."
Danielle settled into Gabriel's lap, waving at Jessica who was still outside. "Mommy, get in! I've been playing here forever!"
Jessica could tell Danielle had been at it for a while.
Normally, Danielle wouldn't be allowed in the front seat for safety reasons. Gabriel would definitely have her in the back. But it was clear she'd been bored and climbing all over the car while it was parked. Now, she was comfortably nestled in Gabriel's lap, her face lit up with excitement.
Gabriel was busy holding Danielle, gently patting her head, making it hard for him to get out. He glanced at Jessica, signaling her to hop in.
A few cars near the makeup room started to drive away. The actresses inside noticed Jessica and initially wanted to see what she was up to.
But then they saw Gabriel through the window.
They instantly freaked out and told the driver to leave without stopping.
Jessica opened the passenger door and got in, planning to take Danielle back so Gabriel could drive. But as soon as she fastened her seatbelt and reached for Danielle, she heard her say, "Daddy, where are we going?" while hugging Gabriel's neck.
Jessica turned sharply. "Danielle, you..."
She had just called him "Uncle Gabriel," and now she was calling him "Daddy"?
"Mommy, Uncle Gabriel said he is my daddy," Danielle said, hugging him tightly and looking at Jessica. "And Daddy said I can always call him Daddy forever, because he is my daddy."
Jessica was stunned.
Even though her relationship with Gabriel was legit, Danielle had adapted so quickly and naturally?
The way she called him "Daddy" was so seamless it made Jessica's heart race. Gabriel seemed to have quickly embraced his role as her father, catching her off guard, yet it didn't feel wrong at all.
"Maybe we should wait until Grandpa Harriman agrees?"
Even though the "father and daughter" were bonding quickly, she felt a bit uneasy. Michael probably already knew about this revelation during the day, but she wasn't sure what he thought about it now.
Gabriel looked at Danielle in his arms and said softly, "Danielle, sit in the back. When we get there, Daddy will hold you again, okay?"
"Okay! Daddy, kiss!" Danielle said, giving Gabriel a big kiss on the chin before obediently climbing out of his lap.
Danielle wanted to snuggle with Jessica for a bit, but seeing her mom's "you two are ridiculously close" look, she giggled and quickly climbed into the back, settling into the child seat and sitting quietly.
Jessica, who had been speechless at their natural father-daughter intimacy, turned around and noticed a child seat in Gabriel's car.
She looked back again. "When did you install the child seat?"
In this sleek, luxurious Bentley, the cute little seat stood out while Danielle seemed very comfortable in it. Jessica realized she had only a partial understanding of Gabriel's decisiveness.
Gabriel noticed Jessica's puzzled expression and said, "Before I came to pick you up from the set."
Jessica had always known that Gabriel's care and affection for Danielle were genuine. She never doubted their bond.
His care for Danielle often included a sense of rationality and responsibility like considering her safety in the car.
For instance, he wouldn't let Danielle eat too much chocolate.
And now, the sudden appearance of a child seat in his car.
It felt like Gabriel had pulled her and Danielle back into his world, seamlessly and decisively, without a moment's hesitation overnight.
His swift actions made her feel like she had missed some important information.
"Where are we going?" Jessica asked, shifting her gaze from Danielle to Gabriel in the driver's seat.
"To meet someone very important," Gabriel replied, his tone gentle, masking his usual aloofness and his smile steady and composed, as if it was natural for them to be in his car, coming and going together.
The engine started and the black Bentley left the set.
The set was still far from the city and Jessica didn't know where they were heading. She noticed that Danielle seemed very energetic, not sleepy at all, indicating she had probably taken a good nap in Gabriel's office before coming to pick her up.
But Jessica felt a bit sleepy. She had just closed her eyes for a moment when she felt a coat being draped over her.
She opened her eyes and saw it was Gabriel's trench coat, carrying his familiar, clean scent.
Just as she was about to close her eyes again, she noticed the cufflinks on the coat sleeves.
Recognizing the dark silver cufflinks, she glanced at Gabriel, who was focused on driving.
Sensing Jessica's gaze, Gabriel kept his eyes on the road and said calmly, "We still have at least half an hour to go. You can sleep a bit more."
Jessica looked at him without speaking, her mind filled with disbelief.
Obviously, the cufflinks she had seen when she threw up on him at the "Shadow Kill" launch party were indeed the same ones, not a mistake.
He had been wearing these cufflinks all along?
Jessica pulled the trench coat tighter around herself, covering half her face, but she couldn't fall asleep.
Halfway through the drive, Danielle, who hadn't been sleepy, started to doze off in the back, quietly resting with her eyes closed.
Jessica, who should have been asleep, kept sneaking glances at Gabriel from the passenger seat, stealing looks every now and then.
Gabriel, controlling the steering wheel, said casually, "If you want to look, go ahead. I don't mind."
Jessica quickly pulled the coat up to cover her entire face, pretending nothing had happened, but she couldn't help but smile.
