Chapter 45
Emina pressed her lips into a thin line, her expression calm. “I’ll think about it.”
Gabriel didn’t rush her for an answer. Instead, after dropping het off at home, the warmth in his expression disappeared entirely.
His gaze sharpened as he pulled out his phone and questioned, “Has the surveillance footage been restored?”
Within moments, a reply came through, along with the recovered footage.
Gabriel played the video. The figure in the footage moved quickly, taking great care to remain hidden. But even with the disguise, Gabriel recognized Samantha instantly.
His eyes darkened dangerously. His jaw tightened, making the sharp angles of his face even more pronounced. His lips pressed into a firm, cold line.
Without hesitation, he forwarded the surveillance video to Emma’s advisor.
Rachel’s eyes widened the moment she saw Gabriel’s message.
Emma was the target of vicious rumors at the university, and Gabriel was the one stepping in to clear things up!
Then, as soon as she spotted Samantha’s silhouette in the footage, her expression hardened with disappointment. They were both young women. Was this level of hostility necessary?
Samantha was a key member of the project team, but with Gabriel personally intervening, Rachel knew she had to take a stand. Ignoring this would be a blatant show of disrespect toward Emma.
Without delay, she suspended Samantha from all project–related activities and formally announced that the rumors about Emma were false.
The situation flipped almost instantly. Emma’s reputation–once teetering on the edge of collapse–was swiftly restored, leaving many students stunned by how quickly things had changed. Meanwhile, Samantha was livid. As soon as she saw the announcement, her perfectly made–up face twisted in rage, and she gritted her teeth. “Emma, I underestimated you.” So, she had gone running to Gabriel? How pathetic.
Samantha couldn’t understand it. The photos were right there, clear as day, so why was Gabriel still standing by Emma without hesitation? She refused to accept it. She wasn’t going to let this go.
Samantha had never suffered humiliation like this before. A cold, ruthless glint flickered in her eyes.
With the rumors cleared, Emma threw herself even deeper into her work with the William Enterprises project. She spent the entire day at the project team’s office, ensuring everything stayed on track.
By the time she reviewed the latest updates and saw that most of the project was nearly complete, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curved her red lips.
Satisfied, she packed up her things, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed for the door, only to find her path blocked.
Emma lifted her gaze slightly, her expression indifferent.
Samantha stood before her, radiating hostility. A small crowd from the project team had gathered after sensing the tension.
One look at Samantha’s face made it clear, she had come prepared.
Sure enough, the next second, she sneered down at Emma from her self–proclaimed pedestal. “Emma, do you think just because Gabriel defended you, this whole thing is over? You and Brian are way too close. Running to Gabriel for protection doesn’t erase that.
“I underestimated you. You sure know how to wrap men around your finger. Let me make one thing clear–you don’t deserve Gabriel. If you have any self–respect, you’ll get the hell away from him.”
The icy venom in Samantha’s voice sent a chill down the spines of the onlookers. Everyone knew she came from an elite background,
Sure, most students at Eastside University were from wealthy, powerful families, but Samantha’s status was on an entirely different level.
Samantha’s harsh words were meant to humiliate Emma. She expected Emma to falter, to shrink back in embarrassment and have nowhere to hide.
But to her surprise, Emina didn’t waver. Her expression remained calm, her delicate features composed and serene. Yet beneath that quiet exterior, her gaze held a sharp, icy chill. Samantha frowned, momentarily thrown off. What was she up to this time?
Before she could figure it out, a deep voice cut through the air from behind. It was Gabriel.
He strode forward without hesitation, stopping right beside Emma. And without a second thought, he pulled her firmly into his arms.
