Chapter 30
Gabriel immediately noticed the subtle change in Emma’s demeanor. No matter how much she tried to appear composed, the way her slender fingers twisted together betrayed her emotions
His gaze darkened briefly before he concealed it. Then, in a deliberately casual tone, he said, “A friend of mine is hosting a gathering tomorrow. Come with me. I don’t like unfamiliar women approaching me.”
His words pulled Emma from her swirling thoughts, and she hesitated. Their arrangement was only meant to fool their parents, but now, he was bringing his friends into it? After a beat, she asked, “You haven’t forgotten… the rules we set, have you?”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. His expression was unreadable as a heavy pressure settled around him.
Emma instinctively shrank back, and her voice grew softer. “We agreed to pretend we weren’t married in front of others.”
His dark eyes flickered with something indecipherable. Then, in a low, husky voice, he said, “You can hide it from your friends if you need to, but I have no reason to do that with mine.”
He had never intended to keep their marriage a secret as if she were some mistress to be hidden away.
For a moment, his unwavering tone stirred something in her chest.
Then, just as quickly, he spoke again–this time with an easy, offhanded tone as if to put her at ease.
“Besides, if everyone knows you’re my wife, I won’t have to deal with women constantly throwing themselves at me. It’s annoying. But with you around, I might actually get some peace.”
Emma blinked in surprise. Was he seriously bragging right now?
Then again, with a face like his, it wasn’t exactly arrogance to say women were after him. He actually seemed genuinely troubled by it.
She couldn’t bring herself to refuse, so she nodded. “Alright. Just send me the location when the time comes. Is there a dress code?” she asked subconsciously.
Emma had always stood out. She was youthful yet carried an air of effortless elegance. Her friends often joked that she had the personality of a delicate flower, yet with a face that could outshine most. A little makeup was all it took to turn heads.
She recalled the gatherings she had attended with Frank. Back then, she had gone out of her way to look perfect. She would spend an entire day searching for the right outfit just to make sure she wouldn’t embarrass him.
But unexpectedly, Lea was at one of the gatherings too.
Her innocence wasn’t just an act–it was who she was. With her fair complexion and delicate, almost breakable appearance, she had a way of drawing men in, making them instinctively want to protect her.
When their friends saw Emma and Lea together, they couldn’t resist teasing Frank, asking which type he preferred.
Frank shot Emma a glance and frowned. His voice turned cold and distant as he told her she was too young for such heavy makeup and that it was inappropriate.
Lea, on the other hand, fit his idea of normal.
His public reprimand humiliated Emma. After that, she rarely wore elaborate makeup, sticking to a bare face with only a touch of lip balm or the lightest layer of foundation. She kept her look as understated as possible.
Maybe it was the scars from that experience, but now, she was always cautious and holding back.
Gabriel seemed to notice her distraction. With a faint smile, he said, “You can dress however you want. You look good even without makeup, so don’t worry about it.”
Emma met his gaze, and a storm of emotions churned inside her.
When she got home, she locked herself in her room. But no matter how hard she tried to shake it off, the bitterness still crept in.
