Chapter 51
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Hearing Velma and Darren’s question, Emma hesitated for a moment. She lowered her gaze slightly, hiding the emotions flickering in her eyes.
3
It had been two years. Now, when she thought about Frank, there was no longer any turmoil in her heart.
Time had washed away the pain. Even if she returned home, she could face the reality of Frank and Lea being married without flinching. For all she knew, they might even have a child by now. But before making any decisions, there was someone she needed to talk to first.
Emma paused before speaking softly, “Mom, I should go back and discuss it with-”
Before she could finish, Velma immediately cut in as if realizing something.
“Oh! What am I thinking? This isn’t a decision you should make alone. You need to talk it over with Gabriel first. Go home and discuss it with him properly. As long as you two are happy, that’s all that matters. Whatever choice you make, I’ll support you.”
A gentle warmth filled Emma’s chest, and her lips curved slightly. “Alright.”
After dinner, Emma gathered a few things from her family home before returning to Gabriel’s place.
When she walked in, he was sitting on the couch, speaking on the phone. The moment he saw her enter, he casually ended the call, his expression giving nothing away.
Emma’s gaze flickered toward him. Just before he hung up, she had vaguely caught the words “the Castro residence“.
For a split second, Frank’s image flashed through her mind, but she quickly pushed the thought aside. She was here to talk to Gabriel about something else.
Gabriel stood up and walked over, effortlessly taking the things from her hands.
His voice was warm, a stark contrast to the cold tone he had used on the phone just moments ago. “You should’ve told me you were done with dinner. I would’ve picked you up.” Emma pressed her lips together. “They’re not heavy, and I didn’t want to trouble you, so I just took a cab home.”
As she looked at Gabriel, she suddenly noticed he had cut his hair. His features were even more defined now–sharp, mature, composed. “You got a haircut?”
Gabriel’s lips curved slightly. “You noticed?”
Emma chuckled “I have
ve eyes, don’t I?”
For a moment, silence settled between them. Then, Gabriel spoke. “Emma, now that you’ve graduated, what’s your plan? Are you staying in Steistan or going back home?”
His tone was calm, unreadable. But beneath his composed exterior, something stirred–an unsettling loss of control. He wasn’t afraid of her leaving. After all, for the past two years, he had been the one by her side.
That other man… Well, from what Gabriel had heard, Frank hadn’t been doing well at all. Some even said he had fallen into a downward spiral.
Emma hesitated, choosing her words carefully before finally saying, “Gabriel… our marriage contract is about to expire.”
The moment those words fell, Gabriel’s expression darkened.
He kept his expression steady, betraying nothing, but beneath that composed facade, a quiet storm brewed. There was an unmistakable weight in his gaze–something cold and dangerous. He met her eyes, his voice calm but firm. “Emma, we’ll talk about this later. I have something to do.”
With that, he turned and leit.
“Gabriel!” Emraa called out, exasperation lacing her tone. But this time, he didn’t stop.
She sighed softly. They had agreed that this was a contract marriage, and neither of them was supposed to take it seriously. But now, with so many blurred lines, who had fallen too deep? Emma stood still, her gaze sweeping across the home they had built together over the past two years.
Everywhere she looked, there were traces of their shared life. And suddenly, the thought of leaving… felt harder than she had expected
Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Her eyes flickered toward it.
Did he come back?
Chapter 52
