Chapter 521
Chapter 521:
Sometimes laughing, sometimes serious, his little voice rang out again and again.
At first, Gabriela found Truett’s little cries of “Daddy” bittersweet, but as the word kept tumbling out of his mouth, a sharp sting pricked her heart.
She was the one who rocked him to sleep, who soothed his tears, who fed him day and night, yet the very first word he learned wasn’t “Mama,” but “Daddy p>
How unfair.
Her appetite dulled, Gabriela forced herself through dinner, her mood clouded by that single word echoing in her mind.
S𝘩а𝘳е 𝘺𝗼𝗎𝗿 𝘧𝖺v𝗼𝗋𝗂𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘧rо𝘮
Afterward, she checked her phone and saw a new message.
It was from Rebecca.
This year, Rebecca was spending the holiday at Wesley’s place.
She had sent a selfie at the dining table, and in the background, Wesley and Loretta were captured in the frame.
Wesley sat with his usual unreadable expression, but Loretta’s face was radiant, practically glowing at Rebecca’s presence.
Gabriela stared at the photo in silence, then quietly locked her phone.
It shouldn’t matter, she reminded herself.
Time, after all, had a way of dulling every wound.
She never replied to Rebecca’s messages, yet they kept coming, like little snapshots flaunting intimacy.
There was Wesley reading a book on the sofa, Wesley tending to the garden, and Wesley in the study, surrounded by Billy and the think tank.
Through Rebecca’s endless stream of photos, Gabriela caught glimpses of the estate.
This year, festive decorations were strung up once more.
The rare orchids in the garden had blossomed again.
And Loretta still found joy in sunning her scallions in the courtyard, just as always.
Around this same time last year, Gabriela herself had been there, working part-time as a chef, helping with the decorations. She had been focused on making money, yet, in hindsight, those days carried a rare kind of happiness — simple and carefree.
Lost in her memories, Gabriela showed one of the photos to Truett. “That’s your daddy, Truett p>
The little boy didn’t understand her words, but he recognized the sound of “Daddy p>
At once, he began chirping the word, calling it out again and again, full of delight.
Hearing it day after day, Gabriela carried the name into her dreams. In those dreams, she confessed the truth of the child to Wesley. Instead of anger, he welcomed it with warmth, and the three of them lived together as a family. The dreams were so intoxicating that each morning she woke with a sharp pang of loss.
Usually, sleep was her cure; no matter how heavy her heart, by morning she could shake it off. But lately, even after a full night’s rest, the melancholy clung to her.
Perhaps it was nothing more than the chill of winter sinking too deep into her bones.
Before long, the harshness of winter began to soften, and the company returned to work.
Just a few days after operations resumed, the administrative director received a surprising invitation.
It was a proposal for collaboration on a luxury hotel project.
The matter was promptly brought to a company meeting for discussion.