Chapter 217
Chapter 217:
Brenden grabbed Gabriela and pressed her into a corner so suddenly that a cold sweat prickled down her spine.
“What do you think you’re doing, Mr. Saunders?” she asked.
He held her gaze, studying her intently—the brightness of her eyes, the sweep of her long lashes, and the flawless curve of her cheek. It all drew him in more than he expected.
After a moment, his voice dropped, calm but serious. “I broke up with Renee today p>
His words left her utterly bewildered. He was just a playboy, with a body count that easily surpassed forty-three. Breaking up was routine for him. Why on earth did he feel the need to announce it to her?
Still, Gabriela forced a look of curiosity and asked, “You’re telling me this because p>
Brenden blinked, caught off guard. “I figured you’d be happy to know that p>
Gabriela bit back the urge to ask why she should be, wary of his unpredictable mood. Instead, she replied cautiously, “Well… congratulations p>
He caught the perfunctory edge in her tone, his gaze locking onto her with a sharp intensity that made her stomach tighten.
Gabriela preferred not to engage with him further and instead wanted to join Wesley for a jog. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go get changed for a run. Mr. Moss is waiting for me p>
Her indifferent tone seemed to unsettle Brenden completely. This wasn’t what he had expected. Didn’t she have a crush on him? Then why wasn’t she displaying any joy over his breakup? If anything, she seemed completely unmoved.
Up𝘥𝖺𝗍e𝗌 𝖾𝘷ery 𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗄 𝗼n 𝗴a𝗹no𝘷е𝗹s.сom
Gabriela took Brenden’s silence as tacit approval and quickly left, heading to change.
Yet, when she finally wandered into the garden, Wesley was nowhere to be found.
She called out his name a few times.
“Over here p>
Wesley’s voice was low, steady, but there was an edge Gabriela could feel even without seeing his face. The dim lighting made it impossible to read his expression when she finally turned, and she shrugged it off, assuming it was just her imagination.
“Shall we get started, Mr. Moss?” she asked, her tone polite, neutral.
His gaze lingered on her for a heartbeat before he said simply, “Sure p>
Meanwhile, Brenden lingered in the hallway, his mind racing, turning everything over—and then it hit him.
He had repeatedly rejected Gabriela, even taking Renee to Phyllis’s wedding and leaving Gabriela humiliated in front of everyone. Gabriela must have been heartbroken, disappointed to the point of closing herself off from him. The memory of her giving that scarf to Wesley instead of him was further proof of her disappointment. And now she would rather join Wesley for night runs than spare him a single word.
A cold sweat broke out across Brenden’s back as he pieced everything together. At least he had come to his senses just in time. Ending his relationship before Gabriela could shift her affections completely to Wesley was a good move. Everything wasn’t lost… yet.
Acting fast, he placed a call and ordered an enormous bouquet of flowers. He even downloaded e-books on romance, desperately studying how to win back a woman who had once adored him. The more he read, the deeper his panic grew. How had he failed so completely to understand Gabriela’s heart? And how much effort would he have to invest before he could win her back?
That evening, Gabriela was utterly drained from the run, and Wesley, as if deliberately testing her, had pushed it well past thirty minutes. Her nerves frayed and she gasped, “Mr. Moss, you should take it easy with that heart condition of yours. Shall we call it a night p>