Chapter 209
With a dismissive snort, Gabriel replied, "I simply had dinner with Kay Baxter, just business as usual. Let her think what she wants."
Mason growled, "Getting cocky, are you? Pissing off your wife now, huh?"
"It's nothing compared to what Teresa did," Gabriel said and, without hesitation, ended the call.
Luke, who had been quietly observing this display, couldn't help but look up and marvel at how love could indeed make even a smart guy like Gabriel lose his wits.
......
By the time Teresa got back to the Garcia family mansion in River North, it was past seven in the evening.
Initially, she hadn't wanted to return, but after calming down, she decided to give herself and Gabriel one last chance. After all, it was just dinner with a celebrity. Married or not, Gabriel deserved his freedom and right to friendships, didn't he?
As she got out of her car, Michael immediately bounded towards her. Holding her son, all the upset and discomfort disappeared, leaving only tenderness in her heart. Perhaps Gabriel wasn't as important as her son because seeing the kid had instantly lifted her spirits.
"Teresa, you're back," Mason called out affectionately as she entered the hall, holding Croissant.
"Yeah, Grandpa, I'm back," Teresa greeted Mason with a smile.
"Great-grandpa," Croissant chirped at Mason.
"Hey!" Mason responded with joy and walked over, "Come, Michael, let's take a walk ."
"Okay," the little guy agreed as he slid off Teresa's arms to take Mason's hand.
"Teresa, don't give it a second thought about Gabriel having dinner with that actress. He..."
"Grandpa," Teresa interrupted, a polite smile on her face, "Gabriel was just having dinner with a friend, nothing serious. I often dine out with friends of the opposite sex, and Gabriel has never minded."
"Uh-huh," Mason nodded in approval. "That's a good interpretation. And you can trust Gabriel; he's not the type to play games or hurt you."
Teresa nodded, "I know, Grandpa."
"That's my girl," Mason replied with relief, "Now, why don’t you take Michael and wash up for dinner?"
"Sure," Teresa nodded and took her son to wash up.
...
In truth, Teresa did want to brush off the gleaming images of Gabriel's dinner with that striking celebrity.
Yet, her status as Mrs. Garcia made her too conspicuous. In a buzz of so-called "friendly" concern, her social media feed became flooded with messages from those "good friends."
Once she was part of high society, Teresa understood all too well that these overtures of friendship were more about her standing than anything else. Today's sympathies were nothing more than eager anticipation for gossip at her expense.
She managed a few brief replies to the ones she usually interacted with and then muted her phone, turning her attention to her own matters.
At a bit over two years old, Michael was at the prime age for language learning. Whenever possible, Teresa took it upon herself to teach him foreign languages.
Having spent two years in Jena with her, Michael had already picked up a bit of German, and now, Teresa was focusing on his English learning.
After spending time with Michael until he fell asleep, she finally went to her own room and took out some books to study for her Ph.D.
Exhausted from a sleepless night and a busy day, she dosed off over her books, slumped across the desk.
Waking uncertainly later, the first thing Teresa did was reach for her phone. With no missed calls from Gabriel, no messages, and the clock showing well past midnight, she stared at Gabriel's pinned chat profile.
Her fingers hesitated, then she typed a message, "Honey, are you asleep?" But after a moment's hesitation, she erased it and exited the chat.
It wasn't that she was unwilling to compromise. It's just that she and Gabriel had such a long road ahead, and she did not think it’s a good idea to be the one always giving in or seeking peace.
Gabriel had been away on a business trip for three days, and on the fourth day, a Saturday, as Teresa sat down for breakfast, Mason finally mentioned that Gabriel's business in Miami was wrapping up and he should be returning.
He was finally coming back.
Only the night knew how tough these past three days had been for Teresa, lying alone in bed when everything was quiet.
Every night without Gabriel felt like a century.
Teresa knew she was addicted to Gabriel, and quitting him seemed much harder than she could have imagined.
But, thankfully, he was about to return.
After breakfast, Teresa applied a subtle and refined makeup to cover the faint dark circles and signs of fatigue, aiming to look her most beautiful and vibrant.
That day, she planned to take Michael back to the Bennett residence, but instead, she chose to stay at the Garcia mansion, waiting for Gabriel's return.
But she waited all day, and as the night embraced River North and the mansion lit up, Gabriel had not returned.
"You damn fool, not coming home and going straight to a hotel. Do you have any idea Teresa has been waiting for you all day?" Around seven in the evening, as Teresa descended the stairs for dinner, a deep and loud roar came from Mason's study.
Gabriel was back, but instead of coming home, he went to a hotel.
Teresa's steps halted abruptly, and she stood frozen in the hallway.
"You stupid kid, get back here now! If you upset Teresa again, I swear I'll give you a hard time," Mason shouted anew, though what Gabriel responded with from the other end was unclear.
These past few days, despite Teresa's efforts to stay cheerful in front of everyone, Mason could see right through her act. She was really struggling inside, holding it all in.
For a proud woman like Teresa, who grew up being cherished and adored, to not stir up drama or get angry amidst rumors of Gabriel with another woman was truly commendable. Mason was coming to like his granddaughter-in-law more and more.
Standing in the hallway, Teresa's thoughts were pulled back by another roar from the study.
She hadn't expected Mason to defend her so much. Suddenly, the ache in her heart eased. At the very least, her months with the Garcia family hadn't been without merit.
