Chapter 212
"There, there, I'll take you back to bed so you can sleep a while longer," Gabriel said, turning back toward the bedroom with Kay in his arms.
Teresa stood there, dizzied, the world spinning around her. She felt unsteady, on the brink of a chasm where a single misstep could lead to a bone-shattering fall.
Time appeared to stand still, stretching into eternity before Gabriel's figure re-emerged within Teresa's field of view.
He stepped out of the bedroom and gently closed the door behind him. Lifting his gaze indifferently, his eyes fell upon Teresa standing a few meters away. His voice was ice as he spoke, "Don’t you have better options? What are you doing here?”
What was she doing here?!
Finally, snapping back to reality, Teresa felt the urge to laugh, but no matter how hard she tried, not a single chuckle could escape her lips.
Right, what was she doing? Demeaning herself!
Slowly, she drew out the marriage certificate and the letter of promise from her pocket. Under Gabriel's austere scrutiny, she mustered all her strength and tore them to shreds with methodical determination, scattering the fragments across the floor.
Rooted in shock, Gabriel watched as the marriage certificate and his letter of promise fragmented in Teresa's hands. His heart felt as if it were wrenched out and nailed to the wall, blood leaking incessantly.
"Gabriel, tomorrow see you at the court," Teresa forced out in a last burst of energy, her tone calm and composed, her speech deliberate and clear. Then, turning on her heel, she strode away without a backward glance.
Throughout this ordeal, she never shed a tear nor once lowered her gaze.
Gabriel was shocked, cold sweat gathered on his temples at the sight of the torn documents and Teresa's vanishing figure. He craved to go after her, but his feet felt leaden, rooted to the spot, and he found himself unable to utter a sound.
Stepping out of the suite, Teresa lost her composure, shaking violently. She wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come.
Struggling, she made her way step by step to the elevator. To her surprise, just as she approached, the doors slid open, and Mason stood before her.
Exiting the elevator and seeing Teresa's pallid face, her lips bitten ferociously enough to draw blood yet unrelenting, Mason was taken aback. He rushed over, concern etching his voice, "Teresa, what happened? Don’t scare me!"
Meeting Mason's eyes, Teresa withheld the pain gnawing at her lips and simply shook her head before passing him to enter the elevator.
With a quick glance back at her, Mason recognized that Gabriel must have caused her distress. After instructing his butler to look after Teresa, he hastened towards Gabriel's suite.
Inside, Gabriel had finally collected himself and was now crouching down, painstakingly picking up the pieces of the marriage certificate and the promise letter Teresa had torn apart.
Mason stormed in, his eyes instantly locating his target. Without a word, he hoisted his hickory cane and slammed it down fiercely.
Gabriel saw the cane descending but didn’t dodge. He let it hit him, the force of it striking his back.
“Ugh!”
With the thickness of a wrist, the hickory cane, powered by Mason's furor, likely fractured a bone. Yet Gabriel grunted with a stifled sound, standing unflinching.
Unsatisfied with the first blow, Mason swung again, bringing the cane down twice more in the same spot. As he raised it for a third strike, the butler lunged forward, grabbing the cane mid-air.
“Sir, you mustn't strike him again, or you'll cripple him!” he pleaded.
“So be it. What good is a disloyal, dishonorable man?” Mason roared at the butler.
“Please, sir, calm down. Perhaps things aren't as reported. Maybe we should hear Gabriel out,” the butler implored, refusing to release the cane.
He had been with the Garcia family for decades and had seen Gabriel grow up. He knew Gabriel wasn't the fickle type.
“No matter what the reports say, he upset Teresa terribly. That’s on him. Let go!” Mason glowered at the butler, his voice thundering.
“Sir, please stop. You'll regret it eventually!” the butler stood firm, continuing his pleas.
“Ha! Regret,” Mason scoffed, casting a disdainful look at Gabriel, still crouched and motionless. “My concern is for my granddaughter-in-law and great-grandson. They'll soon be without a husband and a father.”
“Grandpa, are you certain that I'm to blame for everything?” Gabriel, holding the ripped remains of his bond and marriage certificate, finally spoke in a raspy voice..
“You're the man, and you let your wife reach that state. If it’s not your fault, whose is it?” Mason shot back angrily, “Gabriel, I'm telling you, go bring Teresa back right now. If my great-grandson is taken away, I’ll disown you from the Garcia family. Don't you dare call me 'Grandpa' anymore.”
"Fine. Keep Teresa, your precious granddaughter-in-law, and kick me out of the family. I have no objections," Standing up and glaring at Mason, Gabriel left those words behind and strode off with long steps, to nowhere in particular.
"You... stop right there, where are you going? " Mason shouted, furious as Gabriel just walked away without a word.
