Chapter 13
“Hi, Rick,” Nicole greeted nervously as she answered the phone, adjusting her grip on it as she moved further into her room.
“Nicole, why did it take you forever to pick up my call?” Rick asked immediately, his concern obvious the moment he heard her voice.
“I—um…” she hesitated. “I wasn’t close to my phone, uh… how are you doing?”
There was a pause on the other end of the line.
“Are you okay?” he asked carefully. “You sound nervous.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Nicole replied quickly, silently scolding herself. She hadn’t even realized how tense she sounded until he pointed it out. She cursed herself for not being able to sound more natural.
“Vanessa and I are worried about you,” Rick continued. “You didn’t show up for work, so we went to your apartment to check on you, but your place was locked. Where are you?”
Nicole swallowed. Guilt settled heavily in her chest, and her grip tightened around the phone.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys,” she said carefully. “Everything happened so suddenly. Something came up, and I had to leave New York in a hurry.”
“What’s wrong?” Rick asked immediately. “Did something bad happen?”
Nicole felt a familiar knot form in her chest. She shifted her weight, pacing slowly across the room. She felt awful for lying, but she had no choice—not if she wanted to stay out of trouble with Gabriel.
“No, no,” she said quickly. “Everything is fine. Nothing bad happened, so there’s really nothing to worry about. I just needed to take care of something important.”
“Are you sure?” Rick asked, his voice skeptical but still gentle.
“Yes, Rick. I’m fine,” she assured him. “I’ll explain everything to you and Vanessa when I get back.”
There was another pause before he spoke again.
“Okay,” he said slowly. “I also called to let you know that someone has been hired to replace you at work since you didn’t show up.”
Nicole sighed softly. “I guess I’ll just have to look for another job when I get back.”
“I’m sorry,” Rick said sympathetically.
“It’s okay,” she replied. “You don’t have to apologize. It’s not like it’s your fault.”
“You really got us worried,” he added.
“I’m so sorry,” Nicole said sincerely. “I had no intention of doing that. Could you please tell Vanessa how sorry I am?”
“Sure,” Rick said. “Um… I have to go now. Take care of yourself, okay?”
“I will. Goodbye.”
“Bye.”
The call ended, and Nicole let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
“That was easy,” she murmured to herself, placing the phone down.
Gabriel eventually had that long-overdue conversation with his best friend, Charles.
It hadn’t been easy explaining why he had kept his relationship with Nicole hidden from public eye, but he managed.
He told Charles that he wanted to protect her from false rumors and unnecessary nasty gossip that often followed his name—stories that could affect their relationship before it even had a chance to settle.
Charles listened carefully and, to Gabriel’s relief, accepted the explanation without pressing further.
After that discussion, Gabriel went on to inspect the site chosen for the new housing development.
He spent hours walking the grounds, analyzing the layout, discussing details with the team.
By midday, the sun was relentless, beating down on his back until a dull headache formed.
Deciding it was enough for one day, he headed home.
When he arrived at the mansion, he noticed Nicole wasn’t around.
He instructed the house administrator to have someone bring him a glass of water and painkillers before heading to his bedroom.
He removed his suit, took a long shower, then changed into a pair of jeans and a grey shirt.
Spotting the water and pills on his nightstand, he took them before lying down for a nap.
Two hours later, Gabriel woke up feeling much better.
Instead of returning to work, he decided to relax for once. He went to the movie room and put on a film—something he hadn’t done in a long time.
Partway through, he sensed someone enter the room.
“I saw Darren home and was surprised,” Nicole said as she walked toward him. “Then I was told you came home quite early today. What’s up?”
Gabriel turned to look at her.
“I had nothing important to do at the office today,” he replied, choosing not to mention his headache.
His attention shifted to her outfit — a white choker lace insert bodycon dress paired with matching heels.
Her makeup was flawless. She looked… stunning, and with each passing day, she somehow looked even more beautiful.
She clearly enjoyed showing off her curves, and the sight made him pause longer than he intended,. He found himself oddly pleased.
Nicole dropped onto the couch and glanced at the screen.
“I had no idea you watched movies.”
“Now you do,” he replied, turning his attention back to the screen.
“How was your day?” he asked after a moment, trying to start a conversation.
“I had a wonderful time touring around New York,” she said brightly. “James showed me so many new places today.”
Gabriel stiffened slightly. He hadn’t expected that. Hearing how comfortable she already was with his employees unsettled him.
“Honestly, I enjoyed his company,” she added casually. “And he’s really cute, you know?”
That did it.
A flash of irritation ran through him. This was the second time she had complimented that chauffeur.
It wasn’t jealousy… or at least, that was what he told himself. This was just a contract-based relationship. Nothing more. Still, the idea of her getting too close to James didn’t sit right with him at all.
Nicole continued talking about her day, eventually resting her head on Gabriel’s lap as she lay across the couch.
He barely registered her words or their current position.
His mind was elsewhere, focused entirely on one thing — he needed to put a stop to her growing fondness for his chauffeur.
Nicole stayed indoors for a week afterward, choosing to rest after exhausting herself touring New York.
Eventually, she decided she wouldn’t be lazy anymore.
She planned a spa treatment and a full body massage.
As silly as it sounded, she wanted her skin to look good — she wanted Gabriel to notice.
She smiled at the thought of him complimenting her, even if his compliments were rare and brief.
She didn’t understand why they mattered so much to her.
She smiled to herself just thinking about Gabriel.
Why was she suddenly feeling like this?
“Knock it off,” she told herself before heading into her closet.
She was already dressed and ready to leave when she noticed Darren, not James, waiting as her chauffeur.
“Where is James?” she asked.
“He’s been assigned to the boss,” Darren replied.
“I’ve been assigned to you, ma’am.”
Nicole frowned, surprised.
Why would Gabriel suddenly switch chauffeurs after telling her James would be hers?
Now she was stuck with Darren—older, quieter, less cheerful.
“Okay,” she said.
Still, she got into the car, already deciding she would ask Gabriel about it later.
That night, Gabriel was in his study working late, focused on reviewing contract documents regarding the hotel construction project before meeting his potential partners.
He was deeply focused when Nicole walked in.
Seriously, didn’t she understand personal space?
“Hey babe,” she greeted cheerfully.
He looked up slowly and raised an eyebrow at her.
Seeing his expression, she laughed lightly.
“Okay, okay, I was joking. You should learn to take jokes sometimes. It’s good for your…
not-so-friendly self.”
She sat across from him.
When she went quiet, Gabriel returned to his work.
Nicole noticed he hadn’t acknowledged her appearance, her effort.
How dare he?
She stood, walked toward him, and sat on the arm of his chair, draping an arm over his shoulder.
“Why did you switch chauffeurs?” she whispered.
Gabriel dropped the papers with a heavy sigh.
“Is that why you came here to interrupt me?”
“I was just curious,” she said.
“You told me James would be my chauffeur throughout my stay here. So why the sudden change?”
“I don’t need to explain anything to you,” he replied dryly.
Her perfume filled his senses, making it harder to focus.
Why was she sitting this close? He suddenly regrets not laying down certain rules when she arrived.
“But he was my friend,” she said with a pout.
“I don’t want you being friends with my employees,” Gabriel said sharply.
Nicole stood up immediately, startled by the sharpness in his tone.
“Are you jealous?” she asked cautiously.
He stared at her as if she’d asked something outrageous.
“You’re jealous,” she concluded, smiling.
Nicole couldn’t believe that Gabriel was jealous of his chauffeur.
The realization pleased her more than any compliment he’d ever given her.
“Okay,” she said lightly. “I’ve gotten the answer I came for.
Goodnight.”
She happily leaned down, kissed his cheek lightly, and walked out of his study.
Gabriel sat there, unsettled.
Seriously?
She wasn’t offended by his reaction. She wasn’t upset.
If anything, she seemed amused.
He had gotten himself a very special kind of girl — and this arrangement was becoming far more complicated than he’d anticipated.