Chapter 392 Gabriel faced Jocelyn, adding to his confusion
The bodyguards around Jocelyn would never betray their employer and were utterly loyal to her commands.
In the bedroom on the second floor, Gabriel slowly opened his eyes, looking around the unfamiliar room with a frown of confusion.
Where is this?
Certainly not the cabin he shared with Teresa.
Struggling, Gabriel propped himself up on his elbows, attempting to sit up, but found himself without strength. Halfway up, he collapsed back onto the bed.
Suddenly, a loud "bang!" echoed as the bedroom door was thrust open from the outside. Gabriel turned his head to see...
— Jocelyn.
His brow furrowed in an instant.
"Gabriel." With great delight, Jocelyn lunged toward him as he came to. "You're awake! Are you in pain anywhere? I'll call a doctor right away."
Gabriel, still dazed, at first thought he was seeing things.
But then, it made sense when he remembered that Hayden had sent Jocelyn to study at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
Struggling, Gabriel pushed himself up, gradually sitting upright.
Jocelyn immediately reached out to help him.
Gabriel didn't resist much, leaning on her strength to sit up against the headboard. Then, in a deep voice, he asked her, "Was it you who saved me on the ski slope and brought me here?"
"Yeah, it was!" Jocelyn knelt by the bed, propped her chin in her hands, and gazed at Gabriel with adoring, sparkling eyes.
"This is Zurich, your villa?" Gabriel asked with a scrutinizing tone.
Jocelyn nodded her head with a coquettish smile and replied, "Yes, Gabriel. My sister bought this villa for me. Isn't it beautiful?"
Smiling gently, Gabriel slightly curved his lips and asked, "Where's my phone?"
This time, Jocelyn shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't see your phone when I brought you back."
"Could I then borrow your phone to make a call?" Gabriel's smile grew warmer as he met her shining eyes.
Jocelyn shook her head again. "No, you cannot."
Gabriel kept smiling tenderly, but his mind was like a clear mirror; he was well aware that Jocelyn saving him and bringing him to her villa was not out of pure goodwill.
He looked at the sunlight outside the window. Judging by its placement, he guessed it must be the morning of the next day.
If, from yesterday until now, Jocelyn's sole intention was to save him without any ulterior motives, she would have definitely contacted Teresa or someone from the Garcia family.
Even if she didn't have the contact information for Teresa or anyone from the Garcia family, she should at least have informed her sister Hayden, and Hayden certainly wouldn't have kept his situation from Teresa.
Now, the mere thought of Teresa possibly being caught in yesterday's avalanche or frantic with worry at not finding him made him unbearably distressed.
He found himself completely drained of strength, which was an entirely new experience for him. Even when injured, he had never felt this weak. Aside from his physical weakness, he felt no pain—leading him to conclude that Jocelyn must have drugged him to keep him under control.
"Why can't I?" Since Jocelyn clearly had ulterior motives and wanted to control him, Gabriel couldn't afford to get angry with her just yet. Instead, he patiently coaxed her, "You call me Gabriel. Don't you want to listen to what I have to say?"
Propping her chin in her hands, Jocelyn continued to gaze at him with starry eyes, grinning, "Gabriel, are you planning to call Teresa?"
Gabriel nodded. "Yes, if she can't find me, she'll worry."
Jocelyn pouted, "But if she finds you, you won't be able to stay with me."
"How do you want me to stay with you?" Gabriel asked, still gentle and without anger.
"Just like this! You're only seeing me, talking to me, being with me—no one else," Jocelyn said with a bright smile, though her words sent a chill down his spine.
Gabriel chuckled at the audacious Jocelyn, "You're not my sweetheart; how could I possibly be with you?"
"That's easy. You divorce Teresa and marry me. After all, you owe me your life. Otherwise, you would've frozen to death in the snow," Jocelyn said with wide, innocent eyes, completely devoid of any discomfort.
Chuckling, Gabriel smirked and laughed softly, "Jocelyn, you're still too young. You don't know what true love is yet. You've got your whole youth ahead of you to find the man who truly loves you."
Jocelyn shook her head firmly, "I don't like other men. I only like you."
"I think you're nice too, but I can only see you as a sister."
"Why?" Jocelyn frowned unhappily, "Is it because of Teresa?"
With a grin, Jocelyn laughed, then continued, "If it's because of Teresa, I can just have someone take her out."
—Have her taken out.
For the first time, Gabriel shivered inwardly at the carelessly spoken words of the pure-faced, nineteen-year-old Jocelyn, who harbored such a venomous thought.
Seeing Jocelyn's ruthless ambition reminded Gabriel of someone far more important to him than his own life—Teresa.
"Jocelyn, for such a young lady, you're quite heartless in pursuing your goals. Does your sister approve of your methods?" Gabriel asked, his tone remaining calm and gentle despite the gravity of her actions.
He understood all too well: pampered princesses like Jocelyn raised with every whim catered to, often acted with reckless abandon, secure in the knowledge that their missteps would be smoothed over by someone else.
"I learned from my sister! You have to be ruthless to secure your position. Or do you think she became the heir to The Smith family by chance?" Jocelyn retorted with a sly smile.
Gabriel let out a soft chuckle, recognizing he might have underestimated the cunning of this nineteen-year-old.
"I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat?" Gabriel suddenly changed the subject and looked at Jocelyn.
"Yes! Just wait, Gabriel, I'll bring you something right away," she replied, rising to her feet. In an unexpected move, Jocelyn leaned down to plant a quick kiss on his cheek before dashing towards the door.
Gabriel hadn't anticipated the kiss, but it wasn't that he couldn't have avoided it—he chose not to provoke Jocelyn at the moment.
Crossing a girl with her cunning and recklessness could have unpredictable consequences, especially if she decided to target Teresa.
Once Jocelyn had left, Gabriel intended to get out of bed to check the situation outside the window. But as he moved, two towering bodyguards, one dressed in black and the other in white, entered the room and fixed their gaze on him.
Gabriel smiled wryly, realizing he had once again underestimated Jocelyn.
She had learned her sister Hayden's clever tactics well, though she might have applied them in the wrong context.
Soon after, Jocelyn returned with a housekeeper, carrying a tray laden with a lavish breakfast, which they placed on the nightstand.
"Gabriel, have some milk," Jocelyn said, kneeling beside the bed. She took a sip from a glass of milk before offering it to him.
Gabriel cast a discreet glance at the female housekeeper standing behind Jocelyn, then turned back to Jocelyn with a faint smile. "You know I'm a bit of a clean freak. I can't eat anything in the morning before freshening up."
"Alright, let me help you to the bathroom," Jocelyn said without hesitation. After setting down the milk, she reached out to assist Gabriel.
Gabriel certainly didn't resist. He allowed her to support him as they made their way from the bed to the bathroom.
During the walk to the bathroom, he realized that without Jocelyn's aid, he might have struggled to walk on his own.
Heh...
Good job, Jocelyn.
For the first time in his life, Gabriel felt challenged by a woman, and surprisingly, this woman was just a 19-year-old girl.
Now, Gabriel didn't know whether he should be grateful for sparing Jocelyn back at Imperial Capital or regret that he had let her off too easily.
Regardless, all he knew was that he needed to keep Jocelyn sweet, ensure she wouldn't harm Teresa, and spread the word about his affair with her.
...
