Chapter 52 Tangled Hearts
Gabriel's Bentley screeched to a halt before Teresa, his urgency was clear in the air. "Check your stuff," he said, a touch of gruff concern in his voice as he handed her the retrieved purse.
Teresa rifled through her belongings, her relief palpable—until she saw the blood soaking through his shirt, a stark contrast against the dark fabric. "You're hurt! We need to get you to a hospital!" she cried, her concern overriding her confusion.
Gabriel’s eyes softened, catching the glint of the streetlights. "Worried about me?" he teased, but Teresa was already dismissing her show of care as common sense.
He chuckled, his smile was mischievous. "I've already called the cops. They'll be here soon, and then I'm off to get patched up."
Teresa's skepticism was evident, but Gabriel pointed to the trunk with a smirk. Inside, the would-be muggers lay subdued and restrained, a testament to his swift justice.
As the police arrived and took over, Gabriel's wound and Teresa's concern became the focus. "You need to keep an eye on that," she insisted once they were alone.
Gabriel, seizing the moment, reached for her hand. "Let's go together."
Teresa, flustered, tried to offer him money for his trouble, but Gabriel had other plans. In a swift motion, he scooped her up, her protests filling the night air. "You owe me," he said, half-joking, half-serious, as he carried her to the car.
Teresa's resistance waned as she took in his chiseled features, her fight leaving her. Gabriel, seizing the lull in her defiance, settled her into the car and slid in beside her.
"Don't even think about it," she warned as he edged closer, the tension between them palpable.
Gabriel, undeterred, played his role of the hero to the hilt. "You asked for my help, remember? Now you're part of my journey."
Teresa's muttered retort went unheard, but Gabriel's proximity was impossible to ignore. As he leaned in, her instinct was to push him away, but she didn’t.
Her phone's persistent buzz broke the tension, giving her the chance to push him back. "Get lost!" she snapped, though her heart's turmoil suggested a different emotion altogether.
Diana's voice came through the phone. Teresa reassured her and asked about her son, affectionately referred to him as 'croissant.'
Gabriel, overhearing the conversation, inquired after Teresa's son once she hung up, a hint of something deeper in his voice. "So, does this mean we're friends now?" he asked, his tone suggesting more than mere friendship.
Teresa scoffed. "Friends don't bully each other like you do."
Gabriel responded with a soft chuckle, his gaze was intense. "If not friends, then what about considering marriage? I'd treat your son as my own."
Teresa's patience snapped. "I'm in love with Liam. Nothing will change that. Please, stop interfering in my life."
As the hospital came into view, Gabriel's persistence was met with Teresa's unwavering rejection. She stepped out of the car, her stance firm despite her limp.
Gabriel called after her, but Teresa's parting words left no room for misunderstanding. "I just don't like you. That's all." she declared before disappearing into the hospital's embrace.
Left alone, Gabriel slumped in his seat, a heavy sense of defeat weighing him down.
The driver's voice broke his reverie, "A call from Mr. Li, Gabriel."
On the line, Mason's voice was calm, offering a glimmer of hope. "Your love life might be cursed now, but it'll turn around."
Gabriel, despite everything, found a reason to smile.
A week later, in River North, Liam faced his own dilemmas. After a visit from Patrick, he contemplated the complexities of family and love, realizing Teresa's sudden change of heart might have stemmed from his mother's disdain.
Resolved to clear the air, Liam decided to skip a crucial ribbon-cutting ceremony. "Let Vice President Ling handle it," he instructed his secretary, his mind was set on other more personal matters.
