Chapter 19
Chapter 19:
As Gabriela recalled the passionate night they had shared, a chill rippled down her spine—the memory of how intense Brenden had been in bed made her skin prickle.
Absolutely not!
If sleeping with Brenden again was the price for his fake-boyfriend act, she’d rather scrap the whole plan.
Why should she feel uneasy attending her cheating ex and backstabbing cousin’s wedding? If anyone should crawl under a rock, it should be them. As for Josh… if he wound up bawling, well, she’d just sit beside him and sob too.
Gabriela was seconds away from texting him that she didn’t need his favor anymore, when another notification flashed on her screen. “There’s a banquet tonight, and I want you by my side p>
Gabriela’s eyebrows shot up. Brenden had enough girlfriends to form a soccer team. How could he possibly be lacking a date?
Almost as if he’d heard her thoughts, another message popped up. “It’s a formal event p>
So he really did know none of his so-called girlfriends could pass for decent in public.
S𝘁o𝗿𝗂𝘦ѕ 𝘆𝘰𝘂 𝘸оո’𝘁 р𝗎t 𝘥𝘰w𝘯 𝗈𝘯 𝘨a𝘭novе𝘭𝘀.с𝗈𝗺
She stifled an eye roll and replied, “Noted, I’ll be on my best behavior at tonight’s banquet p>
Inside the spacious CEO’s office, Wesley divided his attention between a mountain of paperwork and the constant stream of notifications on his phone. The corner of his mouth curled into a subtle, self-satisfied smile.
Then, as if an unwelcome thought had slipped in, his gaze darkened and the smile vanished.
He sent off a message, his words sharp as ever. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. You’re not that impressive. Still, compared to the women I usually date, your looks are at least acceptable p>
Gabriela stared at her screen, momentarily stunned by the blunt reply. Why did Brenden seem to relish making things so difficult for himself? If he was so dissatisfied with his choices, what was the point of chasing after one disappointing girlfriend after another?
Despite her confusion, Gabriela had managed to rope in a fake boyfriend for the wedding. With that problem checked off her list, she turned her focus back to work.
At lunch, Aubrey slid into the seat across from Gabriela, eyes alight with gossip. “Did you hear about Alphacom Electronics p>
Whenever there was company news, Aubrey never failed to find Gabriela first, bursting with details long before anyone else.
Gabriela, on the other hand, was usually out of the loop. “What happened with Alphacom Electronics p>
Aubrey leaned in, lowering her voice as if sharing a state secret. “They’re about to go through a full restructure, and there’s a massive deal coming—think at least a billion dollars. Every sales manager in the building is fighting tooth and nail for it. Can you imagine the commission on something like that?” She shook her head in awe, envy flickering in her eyes. “Of course, there’s no way interns would ever be allowed anywhere near something that big p>
A wave of shock washed over Gabriela. Just last night, she’d offhandedly mentioned to Rhys that the company was chasing a multi-billion-dollar contract. Now it was happening for real. Was she some kind of corporate lucky charm? Had Wesley somehow caught wind of her accidental prediction? Maybe—just maybe—she’d get pulled into the middle of it all.
Gabriela was tempted by the deal. If she managed to play a part in securing it, her spot at the company would be practically guaranteed.
All day, the atmosphere crackled with tension. The sales department buzzed like a hive, each team hell-bent on landing the contract. Gabriela also dove deep into her research, combing through every scrap of information she could find on Alphacom Electronics.
Just as evening settled over the office, a sharply dressed young man appeared at her desk. He handed over a sleek gift box, his manner impeccably polite as he asked her to sign for it.
Aubrey, unable to contain her curiosity, peered over Gabriela’s shoulder and gasped, “Is that the SK Elite Boutique logo? That’s top-tier luxury. Not just expensive—exclusive. You can’t even get your hands on their stuff unless you’re part of the club p>