Chapter 95
"These are the Bennett siblings from Bennett Group, William and Teresa, and this lady here is Hayden from the Bush family," Aaron’s mother cheerfully introduced, standing by Cynthia's side.
"Oh yes, the Bush family from the Capital, I know them. Hayden, isn't it? I remember holding you when you were small. You’re an elegant lady now," the elderly woman beamed, sizing up Hayden.
"Yes, Mrs. Harriman, I'm Hayden. Happy birthday!" Hayden responded with a sweet smile.
"How wonderful, it’s a pleasure to have wishes from the Bush family. Come, sit," Cynthia gestured, pulling Hayden closer to her.
"Mrs. Harriman, this is my dear friend, Teresa, and her elder brother, William. William’s a standout; in just five or six years, he multiplied Bennett Group's assets several hundredfold," Hayden gleefully introduced with admiration in her eyes as she sat down.
Cynthia nodded appreciatively at the siblings and exclaimed, "Such impressive young talent! Aaron, you should take good care of William."
"You flatter me, Mrs. Harriman. Any success the Bennett family has had is thanks to everyone's support," William replied with a smile, careful not to catch Hayden's gaze.
Everyone could see the way Hayden looked at William, her eyes adorned with admiration. It was no secret to the astute observer that she harbored feelings for him, though it wasn't clear if William felt the same.
"Liam, I heard a while back that you and Teresa were an item. When can we expect the wedding bells?" Aaron's aunt threw a curious glance at Teresa before turning her gleeful eyes to Liam.
"As far as I'm aware, Liam and Teresa called it quits a good while ago," Gabriel interjected before Liam or Katherine, who was sitting nearby could speak up. His voice resounded with confident finality just as the aunt finished her query.
Teresa shot Gabriel a glance.
Liam chuckled softly, "Yeah, we're no longer together."
"How come? Teresa's such a great woman. She's the whole package; smart and sensible. You two seemed like a perfect match," another well-meaning socialite chimed in, completely out of the loop, expressing her disappointment overtly.
"Ha...ladies, you all keep chatting. We'll take our leave, keep having fun." Aaron, smart enough, sensed the awkward tension, and deftly intercepted the conversation with a laugh. He pulled his childhood friends aside and signaled to William, "William, you coming with?"
"Sure," William nodded and left with the group.
"Here, Teresa, come take a seat," Katherine offered, patting the spot beside her with a caring look in her eyes.
Teresa responded with a soft smile and made her way over.
---
Past ten in the evening, the gathering at the Harriman family estate finally dispersed, with guests leaving one after another.
Hayden had been waiting for Teresa. As Teresa was about to leave, Hayden approached her, claiming her driver had an emergency and had left early, and wondered if Teresa could give her a lift.
Of course, it wasn't a problem for Teresa, although she had arrived with William and naturally planned to ride back with him.
William had enjoyed himself a bit too thoroughly that night and was already assisted by his driver into the car. He now sat in the back, resting his eyes, comfortably reclined in his seat.
"You take the back, I'll sit in the front," Hayden suggested upon seeing William inside.
"Sure," Teresa replied without a second thought, ready to step into the car.
Before she could take a step, a slightly tipsy Gabriel suddenly appeared out of nowhere and swept her into his embrace, a hot, alcohol-laden breath near her ear as he murmured, "Honey, let's head home."
Without further ado, he wrapped his arm around Teresa and guided her toward his parked car.
Teresa glanced at him, speechless.
Concerned about drawing more attention and revealing their relationship, Teresa let herself be led to Gabriel's Rolls Royce.
"Hayden, maybe you'd like to sit in the back?" The Bennetts' chauffeur, aware of Teresa and Gabriel’s relationship, remained serene and made the offer to Hayden calmly.
Bewildered by Teresa and Gabriel's actions, Hayden caught on and replied with a hesitant "Oh, okay" before climbing into the vehicle. Her heart rate and breathing wavered as he caught sight of William inside, attempting to rest with closed eyes.
Despite this, she managed to maintain her composure and took her seat.
Meanwhile, the black Rolls Royce pulled away. Gabriel slumped in the back seat and leaned heavily against Teresa, his arms enveloping her as his head leaned against her delicate neck. His breath, hot against her skin, carried the strong scent of tobacco and liquor.
Teresa didn't find the smell repulsive. Instead, the intensity of his breath, like tiny currents of electricity, sent ripples across her mind.
This strange sensation made her instinctively push against the man sprawled on top of her. "Gabriel, you stink. Let go of me!"
"Do I?" Gabriel had indeed indulged in a few too many drinks tonight, but he wasn't exactly drunk. Pretending to be dazed, he sniffed himself, then released Teresa to discard his suit jacket onto the passenger seat before pulling her back in. "Honey, my head is spinning. Just let me hold you for a little while."
Teresa was about to resist, but the tenderness in his whisper melted her resolve, and she didn't move to push him away again. She simply instructed the chauffeur to take her back to the Bennett residence first; then she nestled into the seat back, allowing Gabriel to embrace her without further protest.
