Chapter 147
As soon as he was out of bed, Teresa swiftly pulled the comforter over herself, concealing her body, leaving only her flushed, beautiful face and her glimmering, wide eyes visible as she watched him. She murmured, "Gabriel, stop buying me so much jewelry next time. I'm not that into it."
Honestly, that man's physique is quite a treat for the eyes. Teresa's cheeks blushed even deeper as she shifted her gaze to the ceiling.
"So, sweetheart, what interests you more, me?" Gabriel teased with a grin, pulling on his pants as he spun around to face her.
"Cut the vanity, Gabriel. Just get dressed and get out," Teresa retorted, ducking her head under the covers.
He laughed at her shyness and quickly finished dressing. Bending down, he drew back the cover from her head, planted a firm kiss on her, and ruffled her hair affectionately, "Be good, get some more rest. I've got a meeting to attend, but I'll be back in no time to keep you company."
"Just go!" she said with a playful grimace.
Still smiling, Gabriel kissed her forehead once more before he straightened up, adjusted his shirt cuffs, and slipped into his suit jacket that lay on the couch. He gave her another beaming look, "I'm heading out."
With a sideways glance, Teresa muttered, "Yeah, make it quick."
Watching her, Gabriel's lips curved into a deeply contented smile. He then strode out, gently closing the door behind him.
Restless, Teresa tossed off the covers and got out of bed the moment Gabriel left. Wrapping herself in a cashmere throw, she walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The drapes were undrawn, and the afternoon sun filtered through the sheer white curtains, mildly illuminating the lounge.
Teresa drew the sheer fabric aside and settled into the armchair by the floor-to-ceiling windows. Leaning on the armrest, she gazed out.
Perched at the very top of Capital Construction's skyscraper, it towered over the surrounding structures, providing a sanctuary free from prying eyes or cameras, a freedom to relish all that was beautiful.
Teresa, however, was astounded by how swiftly she had given her heart and soul to Gabriel and by how amazing and flawless everything felt—more than she could have ever imagined.
Suddenly, Teresa's phone vibrated in the pocket of her clothes. She hurried over, retrieving the device.
It was Diana calling. She answered immediately.
"Diana."
"Teresa, do you have a minute?"
"What's wrong? I'm free, nothing planned for the afternoon." Teresa's voice was laced with concern, responding to the distress evident in Diana's tone.
"Hey, can you swing by the police station and bail me out?" came the urgent request through the phone.
"The police station?!" Teresa gasped, concern sharpening her voice, "Sure, which one? I'm on my way right now."
Diana quickly relayed the address to her.
"Okay, hang tight, I'm coming as fast as I can." Teresa's words were meant to soothe Diana. As soon as she hung up, she swiftly got dressed and stepped out.
She noted Gabriel's absence from the office, probably caught up in a meeting, and left a quick message with Skylar before rushing off.
...
Diana was innocent. At lunchtime, she had visited a club to meet a company executive for business affairs and got caught up in a police raid. Someone had tipped off the cops about a drug ring there, and Diana was swept up in the bust by pure coincidence.
Upon Teresa's arrival, well-known as a prominent member of the Garcia family, Diana was released without further ado.
"Diana, are you alright?" Teresa rushed to her friend, checking her over anxiously.
Sighing deeply with relief, Diana shook her head, "You are fast!"
Grateful that Diana was unharmed, Teresa let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, "You scared me to death. I thought something terrible had happened."
Diana offered a wry smile, "No harm done, just rotten luck."
The staff on duty exchanged apologetic looks but didn’t need to express it; Diana didn't blame them; after all, cooperating with law enforcement was a civic duty.
"Teresa, what brings you here?" A voice came just as Teresa and Diana were about to leave.
They turned to find Liam, with Chuck Nelson trailing behind him.
"Liam, and Chuck too, what are you...?" Diana was confused as she glanced between them.
"Diana, don't tell me you didn't know Liam is your boss?" Teresa said, with a hint of amusement in her eyes.
Staring at Liam, his forehead bandaged and his face pale, Diana's eyes widened in surprise. "Chuck, why... why didn't you tell me?"
She had asked Chuck who their boss was, but Chuck didn’t say.
"It was my call; I told Chuck to keep it under wraps for the time being," Liam said, jumping in before Chuck could reply. He gave Diana a once-over and asked, "You holding up okay?"
Staring at Liam, Diana shook her head in disbelief, still coming to grips with the situation. "I'm... I'm fine," she said.
"Liam, how about you? Is your injury okay now? Have you been discharged?" Teresa looked at Liam, concern engraved on her face.
Liam cracked a wry smile at her, "It's just a few bumps; I'm not made of glass."
"Liam, I didn't get through with the work Chuck assigned me today, I need to..." Diana trailed off, but Liam cut her off before she could blame herself.
"It's not on you if things didn’t pan out. Head out now; we'll talk back at our office." His gaze shifted back to Diana, not giving her a chance to wallow in self-reproach.
Diana’s heartbeat picked up, maybe from his reassuring presence, and she nodded in agreement, “Okay.” They left the room together.
With Liam there, Teresa felt she could stop worrying about Diana. After saying their goodbyes, Teresa hopped into her car, heading back to the Garcia family estate. Diana, on the other hand, stepped into Liam's car, heading back to their office with him.
"Liam, are you sure you're alright?" On the way back, sitting in the backseat alongside Liam, Diana glanced at the bandage on his forehead and his pallid complexion, asking with a touch of worry.
Liam, absorbed in some documents, looked up upon hearing her and flashed a faint smile. "I'm fine."
"I'm sorry, not only did I mess up my tasks today, but I also caused you trouble." The day had gone sideways, and despite the mishap, Diana couldn’t shake the feeling of responsibility for her unfinished tasks.
"Like I said, what happened today wasn't your fault." Liam glanced at the front passenger seat where Chuck was sitting and instructed, "Chuck, you take over Mr. Lynch's project."
"No, Liam, I can handle it," Diana interrupted before Chuck could respond.
Liam turned to her and smiled a little. "I know you can. But Mr. Lynch can be a bit inappropriate. I'd feel more at ease if Chuck deals with him."
Inappropriate.
Seeing his point, Diana's heart skipped a beat, but she held her ground, "That project was the first job I followed up on when I joined the company. I don't want to abandon it halfway."
Liam studied her for a moment, then finally nodded, "Alright, when you meet with Mr. Lynch next time, have someone else come with you."
"Okay." Diana nodded. "Thank you, Liam."
Liam glanced at her, the corner of his mouth lifting in a faint smile before he lowered his head again, focusing on the documents in his hands. Diana sat just an arm's reach away, quietly observing his pale yet striking profile, still scarcely believing he had become her boss.
Would this mean she'd be able to spend her days alongside Liam from then on?
...
