Chapter 380
Teresa had been in the hospital for a week.
In fact, she could have been discharged on the fourth day, but Gabriel insisted on waiting until her wounds fully healed.
The medicine used on Teresa was incredibly precious and worth a fortune. A week later, her injuries were almost invisible, save for faint pink scars in the deeper areas, which were now totally numb.
When Teresa was discharged and returned to the Garcia family estate, it all felt strangely familiar, though she couldn't remember.
While in the hospital, Gabriel was by her side 24/7, yet he had yet to mention it until they got back to the estate and Teresa saw people decorating. Curiously, she asked Gabriel, "What's all this about?"
Gabriel coughed softly, catching her gaze, and naturally reached for her hand that dangled at her side.
Teresa glanced at his elegantly boned, long-fingered hand and did not pull away.
After only a week together, she felt as though they were an old married couple, understanding each other's thoughts and intentions with just a look or a gesture as if they were in perfect sync.
"Honey, there's something I haven't told you yet," he said.
"What is it?" Teresa asked, her voice unusually calm as she gazed at the man so close to her.
Watching her, Gabriel's smile turned slyly charming. "The day after tomorrow, it's our wedding."
"Wedding?!" Teresa exclaimed, surprised. "You mean we're not married yet?"
"We haven't had a wedding, and I'm already yours?" Teresa frowned, puzzled.
His gaze intense, Gabriel gently swept her wind-tousled hair behind her ear and said in a husky voice, "The day after tomorrow is not too late. I'll make sure you are the most beautiful bride in the world."
"Gabriel, are you sweet-talking me? Do you lay it on thick like this with all the girls?" Teresa eyed him skeptically.
All week, she felt like she was doused with Honey, and Gabriel's sweet nothings brainwashed her every day.
"And isn't that the truth? A CEO's charm with the ladies is truly top-notch. Never seen it quite like this anywhere else."
Suddenly, a familiar female voice reached their ears from not too far away. Teresa turned her head and saw an elegant, pregnant woman approaching them with a graceful and alluring air.
Teresa furrowed her brows, looking at the woman.
Her intuition told her she had met this woman before, but she couldn't recall anything.
The pregnant woman was none other than Hayden, who had intended to surprise Teresa.
However, seeing Teresa's reaction, it was Hayden herself who was taken aback.
After sizing up Teresa, Hayden frowned in confusion and asked, "What's wrong, Teresa? Why are you staring at me like that?"
After the New Year, Hayden had been tied up with business and family affairs, barely having time to breathe. The past week had left her no time to reach out to Teresa, so she was unaware of Teresa's kidnapping, hospitalization, and memory loss.
"You are..." Looking at Hayden, Teresa was equally baffled.
"Meet Miss Hayden from Imperial Capital's Lin family," Gabriel said, arms wrapped protectively around Teresa. "The twins she's carrying? They belong to your brother." His gaze briefly flickered toward Hayden as he made the introduction—casual, detached.
Teresa was taken aback, her eyes snapping up to meet Gabriel's. "Her brother's kids?!"
"Gabriel, what's going on with Teresa...?" Hayden asked, looking perplexed as she gazed at Teresa.
"My Sweetheart just got her strength back; she can't stand too long. Let's find a spot to sit and talk," Gabriel suggested. With Teresa in tow, he began walking toward a pavilion next to the nearby artificial lake.
Hayden, with furrowed brows and supported by her loyal assistant Finley, followed closely behind.
...
The fact that Teresa had been kidnapped was a closely guarded secret.
Moreover, to ensure that Teresa would never recall the twisted torture she endured following her abduction by Brian, Gabriel had issued a chilling threat: anyone who leaked details about the ordeal would find themselves maimed and begging in the streets.
So, naturally, Gabriel had no intention of telling Hayden the whole truth, especially not in front of Teresa.
Instead, he explained that Teresa had suffered a head injury from an accident, resulting in selective amnesia, erasing all memories of the past three and a half years.
He quickly moved on from the subject, turning the conversation to the relationship between Teresa and Hayden.
Although Teresa's memories of Hayden had faded, her initial feelings were overwhelmingly positive and filled with warmth. It didn't take long for them to rekindle their camaraderie. Hayden even insisted on being the first to witness Teresa in her bridal splendor.
Rumors of the gown had reached her ears—fashioned by a team of premier tailors and embroiderers who dedicated over ten thousand hours to its creation, its value was said to be in the millions.
Hayden had never had the opportunity to slip into a wedding dress and exchange vows with the love of her life. Yet, with Teresa not just a dear friend but also the sister to the man she cherished, Hayden was filled with anticipation to see her adorned in the most exquisite of wedding gowns.
Teresa had tried on her wedding dress several times before. After each fitting, minor adjustments were made to approach 100% perfection, leaving no room for even the slightest flaw.
But now, of course, Teresa remembered none of it.
So, when they brought up her multi-million-dollar wedding dress and the diamond tiara worth hundreds of millions, Teresa herself was curious to try them on.
"So, tell me, how exactly did Teresa lose her memory?"
As Teresa slipped into the dressing room to change into her bridal gown, Hayden and Gabriel stood in the adjacent room, their voices hushed.
"She's no fool—won't be easy to pull one over on her," Hayden murmured.
Gabriel glanced at her, his voice subdued. "Kidnapped, tortured."
Hayden knew Gabriel didn't buy Diana's story, but Hayden was someone he could trust. So, he was willing to share the harsh truth with her.
"Kidn..." Hayden began in surprise but quickly silenced herself upon realization.
Gabriel's refusal to mention the kidnapping in front of Teresa clearly meant he did not wish Teresa to know.
Just the thought of being abducted and tormented to the point of amnesia sent shivers down Hayden's spine.
"When did it happen?" After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Hayden asked.
"The night of the eighth," Gabriel responded.
Hayden nodded, understanding now. A week had passed—no wonder Teresa showed no signs of trauma beyond her memory loss.
"Looks like you've done quite the job, Garcia. Winning Teresa's love back in such short order," Hayden jested after a brief silence, her tone light, not wanting to dwell on the past.
Gabriel gave her a proud smile. "Of course, memory or not, I'm the only man she'll ever have in her heart."
"Pssh!" Hayden scoffed playfully, rolling her eyes.
"Be careful, Unity!" Just then, Teresa emerged from the dressing room, two housekeepers in tow, carrying the train of her magnificent gown.
At the sound of her voice, both Gabriel and Hayden glanced up...
Although the wedding dress was specially tailored for Teresa, its beauty was breathtaking beyond words—Hayden found herself struggling to hold back tears.
It was an indescribable beauty.
