Chapter 104
"Mommy won't eat, I will," the little one declared, mouth agape.
Amused and in high spirits, Gabriel fed the other half of his bun to the kid. Watching him munch on the pastry, his face the picture of utter contentment and cuteness.
"Honey, I'm going to take you and the little one somewhere special later," Gabriel said after pampering their child.
Teresa shook her head, "Can't. I've got plans to take the little guy to the hospital, then I need to swing by the library to pick up a book. Got a lunch date with Diana and Hayden. Next time you want to hang out, how about making an appointment?"
Make an appointment.
Gabriel couldn't help but burst into laughter when he heard that.
In the whole of River North, others had to make appointments to see him; he never needed an appointment to see anyone else.
"How about the afternoon? Does that work for you?" Gabriel proposed.
"Aren't you busy?" Teresa asked, genuinely surprised.
He was at the helm of two massive corporations, yet he appeared so leisurely.
Gabriel just chuckled, taking a sip of the coffee his housekeeper had just brewed for him, “Family first, work second," he declared.
Teresa was at a loss for words.
After breakfast, Gabriel insisted on applying some of the therapeutic oil to Teresa's ankle.
Thanks to the effectiveness of the oil and a night's rest, Teresa's ankle was much better, and she could walk without much trouble.
Once the oil was applied, the family of three went to the hospital to visit Patrick.
They only stayed in the hospital for half an hour. Afterward, Teresa, carrying Croissant, headed to the municipal library to borrow a book.
The book Teresa wanted was long out of print, and after searching, she found it was only available at the municipal library.
It was supposed to be just Teresa and Croissant, to immerse Croissant in the quiet learning atmosphere of the library, but Gabriel insisted on tagging along, so she let him.
To keep a low profile and avoid unnecessary attention, Gabriel always had a baseball cap and sunglasses ready in the car. So, upon arriving at the library, he equipped himself with both.
Honestly, with Gabriel's physique and frame, he looked good in anything.
Even though both he and Teresa tried to stay under the radar, as they stepped out of the elevator holding hands with their son, they instantly drew numerous startled gazes.
Gabriel was accustomed to it, and although Teresa felt somewhat out of her element, it wasn't too awkward for her.
"Dakota, could you tell us where the idea for the wedding outfit came from? An enthusiastic host on an adjacent TV beamingly said, "Such a stunning piece has won so many awards, the inspiration must be quite the story," as Dakota's well-known visage came on the screen during a high-profile program.
Teresa's attention was drawn to the television, “Dakota's recent award-winning wedding dress was really something," she commented to Gabriel after glancing at the screen for a moment.
"Do you like it?" asked Gabriel, with a meaningful tone in his voice.
Even though he was wearing sunglasses that nearly hid half his face at the moment, Teresa could still feel his tender adoration.
Realizing how inappropriate it was to suddenly bring up the topic of wedding dresses with him, Teresa fell silent. Together, they continued walking, not forgetting to occasionally glance at the TV screen.
"The inspiration for this wedding dress came from my boyfriend. It took me nearly two years of refining to complete this dress," Dakota beamed sweetly on the television.
The host continued in an adoring tone, "May I ask who your boyfriend is?"
"He is Gabriel Garcia," Dakota uttered 'Gabriel' with even more tenderness and sweetness.
"Gabriel Garcia?!" The host cupped her mouth in shock, "Are you referring to the Gabriel Garcia from Capital Construction and Nebula Consumer Products, the Gabriel?"
"Yes, who else could it be in River North?" Dakota replied, her face a mixture of sweetness and pride.
At the end of the host's words, Teresa suddenly stopped in her tracks, turning to look at the man beside her. Whatever was being said on TV no longer mattered.
Gabriel also stopped, accepting Teresa's puzzled gaze through his sunglasses.
"Daddy, are they talking about you?" The little guy tilted his round head, glanced at the TV, and then looked up at Gabriel with his shining eyes.
Gabriel looked down at his son, scooped him up into his arms, and then faced Teresa, confessing honestly, "That was over three years ago. She was the one pestering me; I never acknowledged her as my girlfriend."
"You wait for me here, together with the little boy. Without a moment's hesitation, Teresa responded, "I'll go get the book by myself." She turned around and started walking at a speed that was far faster than before.
"Daddy, what's wrong with Mommy?" The little guy sensed Teresa's change of attitude and asked Gabriel anxiously.
"Mommy's fine. We'll wait for her here," Gabriel furrowed his brows.
"Okay."
"You're such a good boy!" Gabriel praised him warmly, gently rubbing the top of the little guy's head before handing him over to Victoria, who was following behind. He pulled out his phone and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and dialed Finley Sackler's number.
"Boss." The phone rarely rang more than twice before Finley Sackler would pick up.
"Pull all interviews and award-winning pieces related to Dakota, now. Blacklist her. If any media outlet dares to feature her work or interview her, the person in charge will be out," commanded Gabriel, standing by the window, his voice sharp and decisive.
"Understood." Finley didn't hesitate. After hanging up, he immediately set out to get it done.
...
Teresa was dawdling over to borrow just one book, but nearly an hour had passed and she showed no sign of leaving.
Gabriel guessed that it was probably something Dakota had said that made Teresa angry with him.
If she was truly upset, did it mean that she was starting to have feelings for him?
At that thought, he felt great joy, and he quickly pulled out his phone to call Teresa.
However, the call connected only to be abruptly cut off.
Gabriel listened, a trace of pleasure curving the edges of his sensuous lips.
It seemed Teresa was indeed upset over Dakota's words.
A good sign!
