Chapter 44 A Delicate Maneuver
Gabriel's voice was resolute. "Stay here. I'll leave." He said, just to stop Teresa from getting up. With a resigned exhale, he dialed Liam's number. He knew that Teresa's parents would relax only if Liam was with her.
"What are you doing?" Teresa eyed him suspiciously as he made the call.
"I'm getting Liam here. You can't stay here alone, can you?" Gabriel's voice was calm, but there was an urgency in his eyes that Teresa couldn't ignore.
Despite her defiance, Teresa was momentarily caught off guard by Gabriel's compelling presence. His chiseled features and deep-set eyes held an infuriating perfection, and she had to admit that his charm was hard to resist.
Gabriel's voice broke the silence. "Liam, Teresa is at XXXHospital. You should come."
Liam's voice crackled with worry over the line. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine. Just come," Gabriel replied, his eyes never left Teresa.
Once the call ended, Teresa's frustration boiled over. "You can leave now!" she insisted.
But Gabriel simply sat down, his dark eyes were locked on her. Teresa's anger flared. "I don't want you here," she said, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Do you really dislike me that much?" Gabriel was curious.
Teresa's response was to turn away, pulling the blanket over her head. Did she hate him? After everything, how could she not?
Gabriel finally stood, giving a wry smile at Teresa. He left the room, but not the building, instead seeking a doctor to check on Teresa.
She was fine, they both were. Gabriel lingered until Liam arrived, then greeted him with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Congrats, man!" He said, though the words were filled with things that better be left unsaid..
Liam's response was noncommittal, and with a final grin, Gabriel left them to their reunion.
Teresa, mistaking Liam's touch for Gabriel's, initially recoiled. However, upon seeing Liam, her anger softened to confusion.
Liam's questions poured out, gentle but probing. Teresa's answers were hesitant, but the truth slipped out: she wanted to keep the baby.
Liam's disappointment was palpable. He presented a stark choice: him or the baby. Teresa's tears were her answer. She couldn't choose, wouldn't choose.
Liam left, his laughter was bitter, his footsteps echoing in the hallway.
Alone, Teresa coverd her belly with her hands, the finality of the slammed door marking the end of one chapter and the uncertain beginning of another.
Meanwhile, Gabriel lingered in the shadows, his concern for Teresa was evident, even if he maintained his distance. He followed her home, ensuring her safety, yet kept himself hidden, a silent guardian in the night.
Teresa's return home was a dance of deception. Her mother's sleepy inquiries were met with half-truths, and the comfort of her bed was a welcome respite from the night's turmoil.
At the Garcia estate, Unity grappled with her own secrets. Her marriage to Gabriel was a facade, and the child she carried was a ticking time bomb of scandal. She resolved to win Gabriel's affection, to secure her place and protect her secret.
The next day, Teresa avoided her family, claiming exhaustion. Her parents, busy with their own lives gave her the space she craved.
During dinner, her family's teasing about her appetite and Liam's absence was light-hearted, but Teresa's lies were a shield to hide the truth of her situation. She was grateful Liam had kept her secret, and her family remained oblivious to the storm that had passed—and the one that was surely on the horizon.
