Chapter 200
"Are you hungry? What would you like to eat? I'll make it for you," Gabriel offered, joining Teresa in the kitchen as she rummaged through the refrigerator. He knew that she had seen Hayden the afternoon before, then spent the rest of the day staring blankly out of the hotel lounge's floor-to-ceiling windows before returning straight to River North without eating a thing.
Ignoring him, Teresa grabbed an apple and began to eat as she walked out, treating the persistent man beside her as if he were nothing more than air.
"Honey," Gabriel called out, catching her wrist as she walked past him, his eyes pleading. "I was wrong. It won't happen again, I promise. Can you forgive me this time?"
"Gabriel, didn't you say that it was a choice between you and my dreams?" Teresa paused and turned to face him, her lips slightly pursed in a small smile. "I've made my choice. So, there won't be a 'next time' for us."
With that, she yanked her wrist free from his grip and strode away with determination.
Knowing she was still angry, Gabriel didn't dare push her further. He let go and followed her, trying again, "Honey, you can still make up the grades as if nothing happened."
"Gabriel, after all the effort I've put into this, can you really just flip a switch like it's nothing? You say it's over; it's over; you say let's make up, we make up?" Teresa's barely-there temper flared instantly at Gabriel's words. She stopped in her tracks, whipped around, and glared at him with a fury before letting out a roar.
"What do you want from me, Teresa? How can I make things right?" Gabriel asked, making an unprecedented concession as he watched her, his voice lower than she had ever heard it before.
Shaking her head, Teresa replied, "It's too late! Since you've forced me into a corner, I have to respect my own choices. So go ahead, leave. I don't want to see you."
"Teresa..." Gabriel started.
"Fine. If you won't go, I will!" Before Gabriel could finish, Teresa cut him off, grabbed her keys, and stormed out, leaving him standing there helpless, well aware of just how stubborn she could be and that words wouldn't win her over this time.
"What’s going on with you two?" William descended from upstairs and observed them silently until Teresa left in a huff, then he approached Gabriel to inquire.
Looking at William, Gabriel knit his brows together and confessed, "I meddled in Teresa's diplomat exam. Made sure she didn't pass."
William burst out laughing upon hearing this and clapped Gabriel on the shoulder, advising, "Well then, best to let her cool down a bit first. Let her get the anger out of her system.”
Gabriel offered a resigned smile, nodding his agreement.
...
After leaving the Bennetts, Gabriel stopped by his place at Foxglove Fields for a quick shower and change of clothes, then headed straight to Nebula.
There was a crucial meeting that morning at Nebula he had to attend.
However, it was odd. On his way, he dozed off in the car, and when he came to as they pulled up to the entrance of Nebula, he found himself groggy and having trouble opening his eyes.
"Boss, everything alright?" Finley turned from the passenger seat with concern, noticing the pallor and weariness on his face.
"I'm fine," Gabriel forced himself to perk up, stepped out of the car, and walked towards the office building. On the way, he asked Finley, who followed closely, "Is there anything that would instantly cheer up a woman when she sees it?"
"Boss, are you referring to your wife?" Finley kept pace and cautiously asked.
He genuinely didn't get it. Why did Gabriel, a married man, always come to him, a guy who had never even been in a relationship, for advice on what to get a woman to cheer her up?
"Who else then?" Gabriel asked as he stepped into the private elevator, giving Finley a brief glance with a challenging lift of his brow.
"How about an island? The one you bought in Norway where you can see the Northern Lights, sir. All the paperwork is in order, ready to be gifted."
Gabriel nodded, "Alright, you can deliver it to Teresa at lunch." He paused before asking, "What else?"
"Jewelry," Finley answered.
"Too cliché, give me something fresh."
Finley was stumped and muttered, "Anything else would be unnecessary for her."
Gabriel frowned at him. "Think harder, and when you've got it, make me a list."
Knowing Teresa's temperament, he was sure it would take more than a couple of days for her to cool off, so he braced himself for the long haul.
"OK, Boss." In despair, Finley reluctantly agreed, then discreetly pulled out his phone and, while Gabriel wasn't looking, shot a text to Skylar for help.
After walking into his office and having a cup of coffee, Gabriel started the meeting.
The meeting ran for nearly three hours, ending close to noon.
"Boss, what would you like for lunch?" Skylar approached Gabriel as he stepped out, eager to assist.
Maybe from not getting any sleep at all the previous night, Gabriel was exhausted. Returning to his office, he relaxed by sinking into his executive chair, leaning back, and closing his eyes. He said to Skylar, in a quiet voice, "I'm not hungry, so there's no need to prepare anything."
Skylar, observing his pallor and fatigue, hesitated before asking, "Boss, are you feeling alright?"
But when she asked, there was no response from Gabriel, who rested back in his chair, eyes closed as if already asleep.
More puzzled and concerned, Skylar mustered her courage, stealthily moved forward, and tentatively reached out toward Gabriel's forehead.
"What are you doing?"
