Chapter 19 The chasing game
Exhausted from the drama, Teresa skipped sorting through her stuff, and headed straight for the shower. The house was silent, her parents were at a dinner party, and her brother William was likely out for the night, often preferring his own apartment to their family home.
As she began to undress, her phone buzzed insistently. An unfamiliar number was on the screen. Teresa wasn't in the mood to talk, but relented after the persistent buzzing.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Teresa, it's Finley. About that hundred dollars you lent me..."
"Oh, right. Let me pay you back. I'll add you on WeChat and transfer it immediately," Teresa said, recalling Finley as the diligent sort who'd worry about that money.
"WeChat? Uh..." Finley glanced uncertainly at his boss in the backseat, who nodded permission.
Finley was no stranger to Gabriel's inner circle, having proven himself over three years and earning the title Executive Finley. His sharp instincts and loyalty had served him well.
With a green light from Gabriel, Finley gave Teresa his WeChat ID.
"I'll send it now, sorry for the delay," Teresa apologized.
"No worries. I'll wait for it," Finley responded, hanging up and turning to his boss, catching a glimpse of approval in his eyes. Gabriel seemed intrigued by Teresa.
But wasn't there a code against swooping in on a friend's girl?
In the backseat, Gabriel accepted Teresa's WeChat request, labeling her "The She-Wolf". Her profile was a picture of her back back next to a lake, possibly a lake in Switzerland. In the picture, she wore an orange cardigan and light blue jeans, her long hair was so shiny and dark.
As he admired the photo, his phone vibrated, it’s a transfer of one hundred dollars from Teresa, and her message said: "Thanks for the other day, Finley!"
Gabriel's brow furrowed, and he typed back, "You should be thanking my boss," before sending.
Meanwhile, Teresa, halfway undressed, checked the new message from someone named Jos, puzzled. She'd assumed Jos was Finley's English name. Opting not to reply, she continued to her shower.
Gabriel, expecting a response that didn't come, sent another message: "I saw my boss with a bite wound. Was that you?"
Silence followed, though his patience fraying, Gabriel typed another message, then deleted it in frustration. "Finley, call her. Tell her to come."
"Yes, sir," Finley complied, dialing Teresa's number.
But this time, the calls weren’t picked up.
After several attempts, Finley reported back to Gabriel, who, in a rare show of impulsiveness, blocked Teresa on WeChat.
What a childish move, Gabriel thought. He must've lost his senses for a moment.
