Chapter 384
Chapter 384:
The villa door creaked open just past nine that evening.
Wesley arrived with an armload of clothes for Loretta and Miriam. Gabriela’s stomach tightened when she spotted him.
Wesley behaved as if their earlier argument had never happened. His gaze swept over her — brief, dismissive — before moving on.
He exhaled slowly, resignation creeping into his voice. “Grandma’s extended stay might become… burdensome for Gabriela p>
Loretta remained absorbed in cooing at Truett, barely acknowledging Wesley’s presence. At those words, she finally lifted her eyes, irritation flickering across her weathered features. “Gabriela welcomes us here, so why the sudden concern? You’re hardly bringing girlfriends home anyway — poor Fiona never stood a chance with you. Since you refuse to settle down and have a child, at least allow me these precious moments with this little angel p>
Gabriela’s head dropped lower, heat creeping up her neck.
She recognized the subtle barbs in Loretta’s words — each comment felt deliberately aimed at her.
Wesley’s face remained impassive as his eyes found Gabriela once more. He offered no response.
He deposited the belongings for both elderly women, issued a few terse reminders, then vanished into the night.
Loretta and Miriam claimed their territory in Gabriela’s villa once again.
𝘛h𝘦 𝘣𝖾𝘀t 𝗋𝗲v𝗂𝖾𝗐ѕ о𝗻
As the days crawled by, Farley’s frustration mounted.
In the past, he and Ken had shared baby duties when Gabriela worked. Now Truett lived permanently attached to the elderly women’s arms.
Securing even five minutes with the baby required elaborate negotiations and strategic bribing.
The Apex Group basked in an unusually peaceful stretch.
Tessa’s world, however, churned with unease — she clutched an enormous gift bag as she exited the CEO’s office.
Baby formula, diapers, and delicate wipes spilled from the bulging package.
Wesley had instructed Billy to present the items and then said casually, “Tessa, I should have congratulated you on your new arrival sooner. Consider these company gifts for your child p>
His expression remained frozen, professional to the point of cruelty.
Yet something unnamed flickered behind his eyes.
Tessa accepted the bag, confusion clouding her features.
Billy’s face betrayed his own bewilderment, though his voice carried genuine warmth. “Congratulations, Tessa p>
“Thank you p>
Tessa returned to her office, immediately surrounded by curious colleagues.
“What’s that enormous bag, Tessa? A gift from Mr. Moss himself p>
“Oh, no,” Tessa stammered, heat flooding her cheeks. “A friend asked me to pick these up p>
Her explanations multiplied, each lie spawning three more. Finally, her colleagues’ interest waned. Tessa slumped in her chair, exhaustion weighing on her shoulders.
How much longer could she sustain this elaborate deception?
After work, Tessa contacted Aubrey to accompany her to Gabriela’s — the bag proved too heavy for one person to manage.
Gabriela had just dragged herself home from work, collapsing onto the couch in defeat.
Truett caught Gabriela’s familiar scent and began squirming toward her with such determination that Loretta nearly lost her grip.
Loretta frowned, perplexed.
Was Truett hungry? Why did he seem drawn to Gabriela for milk when she wasn’t his mother?
“Truett needs changing!” Gabriela announced, sweeping the baby upstairs.
Loretta moved to follow, but Farley intercepted her path. “Loretta, that soup recipe you shared yesterday — I’ve forgotten a crucial step. Could you walk me through it again p>
Loretta reluctantly trailed Farley into the kitchen.
While Gabriela nursed Truett upstairs, Tessa and Aubrey arrived with their heavy bag. They froze upon discovering Loretta and Miriam.
Farley rushed through introductions.
Learning these were Wesley’s relatives, Tessa and Aubrey transformed into nervous shadows, offering stilted greetings.