Chapter 215
"What? Gabriel, was this thing with Kay Baxter a setup, a performance for Teresa?" Katherine exclaimed in shock upon hearing Mason's words, "How could you be so reckless?"
Gabriel stood there, seemingly looking at Mason, but his gaze was unfocused. He was deep in thought, silent.
"Teresa's foreign service exam results were excellent in every subject. Why sabotage her scores, even failing her on purpose? What was your intention?" Mason asked, his voice sinking, as Gabriel remained quiet.
"Teresa failed the exam, and I thought it was because she hadn't put in the effort. Turns out, Gabriel had a hand in it," Katherine exclaimed in shock, "Gabriel, why would you do such a thing?"
Raymond, who had not known the full details of the issues at all, sighed and shook his head before sitting down on the couch. He found himself increasingly unable to understand his son Gabriel.
"Because she's my wife, and I didn't want her mingling with any more guys. That's it," Gabriel confessed bluntly. But after his admission, he paid no further attention to anyone and headed upstairs.
Mason watched him go without a word.
At the end of the day, it was all because he loved Teresa too much.
Raymond and Katherine watched him ascend the stairs, both at a loss for words.
"Dad, now that we know it's all been a misunderstanding, what about Teresa..." Katherine began.
Before she could finish, Mason stood up, sighed deeply, and said, "No rush. After we've dealt with Kay Baxter, we can invite Patrick and Sophia over later to explain everything, so they can have a proper talk with Teresa."
Katherine nodded, "Alright, I'll call the Bennetts later, so they don’t fret unnecessarily."
Mason nodded and then headed upstairs.
He had yet to freshen up from the morning's outing, and besides, Mason wanted to have a private word with Gabriel upstairs. The kid was crazily in love, to the point of being myopic, and Mason knew he needed serious talk.
At the Bennett household, Patrick and Sophia got up early and saw the reports, infuriated. Sophia couldn’t help herself and ordered the car to be prepared, wanting to confront the Garcias.
However, Patrick restrained her.
Firstly, they weren't sure about the veracity of these entertainment reports; it would be quite embarrassing if it all turned out to be nothing but fabricated gossip.
Secondly, the Bennett family had several major projects tied to the Garcias. If the reports were true and they confronted Gabriel rashly, actions taken in anger could spell trouble for the Bennetts if Gabriel decided to retaliate.
Therefore, they needed to ascertain the facts and deliberate carefully before taking any action.
Patrick understood Sophia's concerns completely, but he couldn't help feeling frustrated.
"Look, we wouldn't stand by and let the Garcias get away with it if Gabriel had truly done Teresa any harm. However, Teresa's safety must come first, so we must avoid doing more harm than is required."
Sophia nodded, her thoughts aligning with his, "You're right. Who in their right mind would broadcast their wrongdoing for all to see? Especially someone like Gabriel," she concluded, feeling a bit relieved at the thought. "If only William were here, he could go talk to Gabriel directly."
Unfortunately, William had been abroad on business for the last few days and wouldn't return anytime soon.
"I'll have someone look into it right away, no rush," Patrick reassured Sophia, patting her hand. "Why don't you give Teresa a call and see how she's holding up?"
Sophia agreed and immediately dialed Teresa's number.
When Teresa picked up, she didn't go into details, only mentioning she’d be home soon with Croissant.
Sophia was anxious, about to inform Patrick when her phone buzzed. It was Katherine calling. Sophia answered quickly, engaging in a brief but polite exchange before the conversation turned to Gabriel and Teresa's ordeal. Katherine shared all she knew.
When Sophia discovered that Gabriel had created those tabloid tales with Kay Baxter simply to provoke Teresa, she felt a wave of relief.
"Sophia, don't you worry," Katherine said cheerfully after clarifying things, "We'll have a talk with Gabriel. As for Teresa, I hope you and Patrick can look after her for a bit. Let her stay there for a couple of days to cool off, and then Gabriel can bring them back."
"Of course, you're so thoughtful," Sophia responded with a warm smile, "We'll take good care of Teresa." They exchanged a few more pleasantries and then hung up. Sophia turned to update Patrick on the situation.
Dealing with a lovers' quarrel made things easier, and both Patrick and Sophia felt a sense of relief. It wasn't long before Teresa arrived home with Michael. The sight of Michael’s red, tear-streaked face turned Sophia's heart to mush. Without hesitation, she wrapped the weeping boy in her arms, gently rocking and comforting him.
Teresa handed the sobbing child over to Sophia without uttering a word and made a beeline for the stairs, heading straight to the shower in her room.
Perhaps it was exhaustion from the anger and crying, or maybe a moment of clarity, but Teresa emerged from the shower feeling oddly serene. Downstairs, Sophia had already soothed the once-tearful boy, who was now giggling with Patrick as if all had been forgotten.
