Chapter 29
Velma said, “I can tell Gabriel is serious about Emma. Honestly, I was worried she might have hired an actor just to fool me, so I tested him. I asked him all sorts of questions about Emma–her habits and preferences. Guess what?
“He answered every question effortlessly like he knew her inside and out. You’d have to know someone that well to be so fluent I’m convinced, and this marriage has my approval.
Darren chuckled indulgently. “As long as you’re happy, I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”
She asked coquettishly, “What if I got it wrong?”
“I’ve always trusted your instincts.”
“Aren’t you a sweet talker?” Velma laughed and snuggled into Darren’s embrace.
The elevator doors slid open as Emma and Gabriel stepped out.
Velma’s words still echoed in Emma’s mind. Emma took a deep breath, and her fingers curled slightly in embarrassment. “Sorry about that. My mom can be pretty chatty. You must’ve had a hard time.”
Gabriel’s lips curled into a faint, relaxed smile. He lifted a hand and gently brushed his fingers against Emma’s cheek. His voice was low and magnetic, each word dripping with irresistible charm.
“Why are you so warm?”
Startled, she immediately raised her hands and patted her face.
Gabriel let out a low chuckle. “Don’t worry. I like this kind of atmosphere. Besides, we’re married now. You don’t have to tiptoe around me.” As he spoke, he leaned in without hesitation.
Emma’s body tensed. She stared at him wide–eyed as heat spread across her cheeks and burned the tips of her ears. He was too close–so close that the slightest movement would bring their lips together.
A faint tremor ran through her because he was too smooth for his own good. Somehow, she had walked right into it.
Every move Gabriel made pulled at Emma’s thoughts and wrapped her in a sweetness she couldn’t escape. It was like sinking into honey, and the warmth seeped into her very core. But Gabriel’s attentiveness only made her chest tighten. She bit her lip as a sharp sting rose behind her eyes, and she fought to hold back the ache threatening to surface.
At that moment, her mind couldn’t help but flash back to her previous relationship with Frank.
Emma had always been afraid of thunderstorms. Whenever the rain poured and thunder rumbled, she would curl up tightly under the blankets.
Frank had been just as thoughtful as Gabriel. Every time a storm rolled in, he’d come home early without fail and patiently coax her to sleep.
But all of that disappeared the moment Lea entered the picture.
He stopped paying attention to her and became completely wrapped up in another woman. Even when Lea schemed against her, he never listened to her side of the story. Instead, he only looked at Emma with disgust.
On stormy nights, Emma would still reach for her phone out of habit. But whenever she called, Frank’s voice was cold and detached, and he’d even accuse her of putting on an act. Did he really think she was so desperate that she’d stoop to trickery just to get him back? She had grown up, yet he still saw her as the same pathetic, insufferable girl from childhood.
Frank had said far worse. Even when he saw the pain in her eyes, he remained unmoved. He had once enjoyed her obedience, yet he never hesitated to tear her down. All those years of loving him had left Emma without a sense of self, and the moment Lea entered the picture, she stood no chance.
Emma lowered her gaze and fought to keep the tears from falling.
