Chapter 241
Foxglove Fields.
That night, after a soothing bath, Teresa lay in bed thinking of Diana and decided to give her a call.
“Hey, Teresa." This time, the phone was quickly answered.
“Diana, what's wrong? Your voice sounds off," Teresa said, her brows furrowing upon hearing Diana's voice.
On the other end, Diana had already taken some cold medicine and managed to whip up some slight food. She was slowly picking at her meal, knowing she had to eat even though her appetite was gone.
Liam had been ruthless, but she couldn't afford to be that way with herself. She had to look after her own well-being. She couldn't let Liam and the rest have the last laugh.
She had to get better, stronger, and more outstanding.
She wanted to make Liam regret not choosing her.
“It's nothing, just a bit under the weather. I've taken some medicine. Don't worry about me. It's getting late, you should sleep. Otherwise, your husband might start complaining about me," Diana managed to joke, her voice still sounding somewhat cheery.
Reassured by Diana's spirit and lighter tone, Teresa felt at ease. They chatted briefly before hanging up.
“Can we go to bed now?" Gabriel snatched Teresa's phone away and pulled her into his arms as they slipped under the covers together.
“Honey, can you have someone check out what's really going on between Liam and Tessa?" Nestled in Gabriel's arms, Teresa pondered for a moment before making the request.
She had Diana to thank for her courage when she was pregnant with their baby, Croissant. Now that Diana was facing emotional turmoil, Teresa couldn't just stand by.
“All right, I'll have someone look into it tomorrow so you can sleep peacefully, okay?" Gabriel turned off the light and planted a tender kiss on her forehead, his voice filled with adoration.
“Mhm.” Teresa nodded, leaning in to kiss his attractive Adam's apple, her hands wandering restlessly downward, “You're so good to me!”
“Behave yourself, you little seductress!" Gabriel quickly caught her wandering hands, holding her tightly in his arms to still her movements.
“What's wrong? You don't like my touch?" Knowing well that Gabriel wouldn't touch her at this moment, Teresa teased him with fearlessness, “So, who do you like to be touched by...?" Her taunting was cut short as a kiss sealed her lips, the thought unfinished.
His kiss was wild and assertive, an embodiment of conquest that melted Teresa into a puddle in his embrace. Her breaths were disordered, and her usual confidence washed away.
“Still feeling feisty?" Gabriel only released her when he felt her struggle to catch her breath, his eyes gleaming in the night like stars sparkling in the sky, startlingly bright.
“Dear, you're burning up..." Teresa panted, lifting her eyes to meet his.
Gabriel tightened his hold on her, fighting to quell the wildfire spreading through his body, rubbing his chin against her forehead with a hoarse voice, “I'm starving, yet I have to stare at the steak on my plate without touching it every day if I didn't react, that wouldn't be normal."
Teresa looked up at him with an unspoken challenge in her eyes.
“All right, be good, and let’s get some sleep."
“Okay." Teresa nodded, wrapped her arms around him, nestled into a comfortable position in his arms, and then closed her eyes to sleep.
...
The next day, Teresa had one lecture in the morning and another in the afternoon.
At noon, Gabriel came to the college to have lunch with her, with meals freshly delivered from the family home, still steaming hot.
After Teresa had been drugged at the college cafeteria on Dakota's arrangement, Gabriel forbade her from eating at school again.
Frightened by another incident and not wanting to involve others, Teresa avoided the cafeteria. If she needed to have lunch at school, she’d notify the family home to prepare and deliver it.
The two chefs at the Gabriel mansion were the best, boasting three Michelin stars each. Their meals were far more delicious and nutritious than anything the school's cafeteria could offer.
“This morning, I had someone dig into Tessa and Liam's situation,” Gabriel said casually, serving a piece of fish into Teresa's bowl during their meal.
“Uh-huh, and what's their relationship?" Teresa asked, nodding as she ate.
“Bed buddies.”
Teresa paused, her eating motion halting abruptly.
“Tessa and Liam hit the sheets after just about a week of knowing each other. Liam's never shown her off publicly, always at hotels, so for now. It's just a bed buddy arrangement," Gabriel explained, then offered her a piece of rib.
“How long have they been seeing each other, and how many times have they... you know?" Teresa snapped out of her shock, her appetite vanishing as she pressed for details.
Watching her, Gabriel smiled helplessly, “Sweetheart, aren’t you a little too invested in this?"
“Come on, spill it!" Teresa cooed at the man across from her, impatience written all over her face.
