Chapter 247
Teresa’s brow furrowed with a pang of immense guilt. The thought weighed heavily on her heart.
A life had been lost, and even if Kay had once harbored flirtatious thoughts about Gabriel, it was something almost any woman might do when it came to a man like him. But now Kay was dead, and it looked like she had been tortured to death.
As a woman, Teresa couldn’t bear even to imagine such a scene. It was too horrific.
“What’s wrong?” Gabriel ended his call and immediately noticed Teresa’s distress. He wrapped his arms around her and asked with concern.
Teresa looked up at him and handed over her phone.
With a quick glance, Gabriel’s usually relaxed eyebrows knit together sharply.
“Darling, this is just terrible. Don’t you think... this is a bit too much?” Teresa asked, visibly upset.
“You think I had something to do with it?” Gabriel’s brows furrowed even tighter as he locked eyes with her.
Teresa shook her head. “I mean, the way Kay’s scandals were leaked and how her career was completely torpedoed.”
“You think all those stories about her were leaked because Grandpa or I instructed someone to?” Gabriel pressed her.
This time, Teresa nodded.
“Sweetheart, you’re too innocent,” Gabriel sighed deeply, leaning down to kiss her forehead gently.
“Show business is a cutthroat world. More than ninety percent who climb to the top have powerful backing. How they secure that support varies greatly. When the word goes out to blackball someone, it spreads like wildfire. Everyone jealous, who resented her, or had a grievance would eagerly join in, trampling her down while snagging some publicity for themselves and seizing the opportunities she once had.”
Teresa understood. “So, the scandals about Kay weren’t leaked by you or your grandfather?”
Gabriel lifted her chin tenderly and nipped at her nose affectionately. “Grandpa wouldn’t bother with such things, and I’m not that idle.”
“Still, her tragic end must be tied to her past troubles in some way,” Teresa said, her guilt lingering.
“It was her vanity and restlessness. Thinking she could rise again and re-live her glory days, she put herself in danger. Once she lost her backing, the predators were ready to savage her,” Gabriel said with a subtle lift of his eyebrows, adding softly, “Though, the manner of her death was indeed tragic.”
“Is there any chance they’ll solve the case?”
“What do you think?” Gabriel asked, turning the question back on her with a probing gaze.
His words instantly made it clear to Teresa.
A star who had been blackballed, left with no connections or value, was unlikely to find anyone willing to risk angering the powerful to fight for her justice.
“Why are there such creeps? How many women must they harm?”
“Most tend to throw themselves at these guys, biting off more than they can chew. You can’t blame anyone else.” Gabriel said with a crooked smile, without a hint of seriousness, “You haven’t seen Kyle and the boys go wild.”
“Including you?!” Teresa’s face fell in an instant.
Looking at her, Gabriel chuckled, but his tone was unusually earnest, “I just look, never touch.”
Skeptical, Teresa side-eyed him, “Really?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t dare lie to my sweetheart...” Gabriel said as he leaned down and captured Teresa’s lips.
...
On the weekend, like before, Teresa and Gabriel brought Croissant to Bennett's house.
It was only when she returned that Teresa found out Michelle was there too, and everyone was discussing the engagement between William and her.
“William, are you getting engaged?!” Teresa exclaimed in shock at William and Michelle.
She really hadn’t expected William to be so callous. Could this really be the same elder brother she’d respected all her life?
“Teresa, I know there’s been some misunderstanding between us that’s made you upset, and I think we should talk it out, just the two of us, to clear the air,” Michelle said sincerely, sitting beside William, looking straight at Teresa.
“I don’t need to talk to you. I need to talk to my brother,” Teresa replied, her gaze firm and annoyed as she looked at William.
“Guys, if there’s a misunderstanding, let’s just sit down and sort it out. We’re all family here,” Patrick finally spoke up.
“Dad, Mom, there’s no misunderstanding with Michelle. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Teresa, who I marry is my business, not yours,” William retorted coldly, pulling Michelle close and giving Teresa a sharp look.
“That’s where you’re wrong, brother-in-law,” Gabriel immediately wrapped an arm around Teresa in support, “If Teresa is part of the Bennett family, then she has every right to voice her opinion on family matters.”
Sophia sensed something was up and fixed her eyes on her daughter. “Teresa, is there something you know, something you’re keeping from me and your dad?”
“Yeah, there is something,” Teresa nodded, then turned to look at William. “William, since you don’t feel like spilling the beans to Mom and Dad, I guess I’ll have to do it.”
William glanced at Teresa, his arm casually draped over Michelle’s shoulder, sinking into the couch with a look of indifference.
