Chapter 19
Nicole ran into her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her.
The moment she reached the bed, her strength gave out and she collapsed onto it, burying her face into the pillow as tears streamed freely down her cheeks.
This was a mistake. A terrible mistake. She never should have agreed to such an offer in the first place.
The realization hit her all over again, making her cry even harder as her shoulders shook uncontrollably.
She truly thought he was different. Somewhere along the way, she had begun to see a softer side of him—small glimpses of kindness that made her hopeful.
But she had been wrong. No matter how much effort she put into warming him up, no matter how she stayed by his side and cared for him, even during his illness, he still didn’t see her as anything more than part of an arrangement. Not even as a friend.
How could she have been so stupid? How could she allow herself to develop such strong feelings for him? And now that she had, how was she supposed to erase him from her mind?
The questions circled her thoughts relentlessly until she was drained. When the tears finally slowed, she lay there staring blankly at the ceiling, her chest tight and heavy.
She needed to get over him. She had to.
Nicole pushed herself off the bed and walked into the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face to wash away the evidence of her breakdown.
She stared at her reflection for a brief moment, taking in her swollen eyes and pale face, before turning away.
After that, she headed downstairs and asked one of the maids to inform her chauffeur to prepare a car for her.
She didn’t bother packing anything. Every dress, every shoe, every accessory had been bought with Gabriel’s money, which meant they all belonged to him.
She wanted nothing that tied her to him anymore.
So she left just as she was—wearing her white off-shoulder crop top, denim pants, and wedge shoes.
Gabriel sat alone in his study, his chest rising and falling heavily.
He couldn’t believe what he had done. Nicole was only trying to help him—yet he had taken all of his frustration, fear, and confusion and thrown it at her without restraint.
His insecurities had gotten the better of him.
The feelings he was beginning to develop for her had overwhelmed him, and instead of confronting them, he lashed out.
He didn’t know how to process what he was feeling. Deep down, he felt inadequate, terrified that he would repeat the same mistakes he made in his previous relationship.
How was he supposed to fix this? How could he possibly apologize to Nicole, especially when he was certain she wouldn’t listen to anything he had to say?
He remained seated, lost in thought, searching for the right words—when her earlier statement hit him all at once.
She said she would leave.
Was she serious?
The realization sent panic rushing through him.
He jumped to his feet and hurried out of his study, heading straight for Nicole’s bedroom, desperate to find her and ask for her forgiveness before it was too late.
But when he reached the room, he was met with emptiness.
The bed was untouched. The room felt cold.
His heart sank.
He rushed downstairs and asked the house administrator where Nicole was. The man informed him that she had asked Darren, her chauffeur, to take her out, but she hadn’t said where she was going.
That was when it hit him—Nicole had left. Just like she said she would.
Gabriel returned to his study, his anger boiling over. With one swift movement, he swept his desk aside, sending everything crashing to the floor. Glass shattered loudly as it hit the tiles. He lashed out again, knocking over more items, his hands trembling violently as rage consumed him.
After nearly thirty minutes, his anger burned itself out, leaving behind exhaustion. He stood still, breathing heavily, and finally looked around at the destruction he had caused. The mess of the room mirrored the mess inside him. The sight made his legs feel weak.
In that moment, he realized how right Nicole had been—he hadn’t fully recovered.
Standing there, staring at the mess, he felt like a complete failure.
And then it hit him even harder: how lonely he truly was.
He had never noticed it before. Not until Nicole came into his life.
She had shown him the importance of having a companion—someone who cared, someone to share his burdens with, someone who mattered, someone who stayed.
He took one last look at his ruined study, feeling no regret for what he had done, and walked out.
Nicole stepped out of the Range Rover and thanked Darren for the ride. He asked if she needed him to wait in case she wanted to pick something up, but she told him not to. Her response surprised him, but he chose not to question it and drove away.
She stood in front of her apartment building for a moment and released a long sigh before walking inside. She paused at the entrance of her flat, the familiar key sliding easily into the lock.
When she finally entered her flat and looked around the living room, she murmured quietly,
“Home, sweet home.”
But the words felt different this time.
It felt hollow. The living room looked the same, yet everything felt different.
This place used to feel like her sanctuary—where she could come back after a long day and feel safe.
Now, looking at it only brought pain. This was where she had first spoken to Gabriel. Where she met him for the first time.
She was grateful she had paid her rent for a year in advance. If she hadn’t, she would probably be homeless by now.
But then another thought crossed her mind.
Who had been paying the bills all these months?
She still had electricity. Still had water.
Could it be him?
But how?
If he had done that, he could have mentioned it. Then again, Gabriel always had his own way of showing gratitude—just like he did with the clothes he bought her. Those small gestures were part of what made her fall for him.
She shook her head, forcing the memories away. Thinking about him wasn’t helping. She needed to freshen up, hoping it would distract her and quiet her thoughts, at least temporarily.
Five days passed after Nicole left Gabriel’s house.
She didn’t step outside her apartment once during that time.
She hadn’t told Rick or Vanessa that she was back either.
Most days, she barely ate, as her appetite had dwindled to almost nothing.
The only thing she managed to consume was the cereal she had left behind before moving into Gabriel’s house.
She told herself she needed time alone to pull herself together, but it wasn’t working, as her mind refused to stay still. Every thought led back to Gabriel. She wondered if he was still taking his medication, if he was feeling better now. Worry laced with each thought.
And every time she thought of him, the memory of his harsh words echoed in her mind.
She didn’t understand why he had been so angry that day.
Was it because of her? Maybe she had overreacted about his health. But she only did it because she cared. No—because she loved him. She wanted him well again, wanted him back to himself so she could talk to him, laugh with him, spend time together like they used to.
Or perhaps, that was his way of telling her that her time at his mansion was up.
If that was the case, then it worked. But he could have just told her calmly, and she would have understood. Their relationship was only based on a contract, after all. She would have left peacefully—even if it hurt.
“You need to get yourself together, Nicole,” she whispered to herself, her words carrying both warning and resolve.
She could not linger in memories and longing, because thinking about Gabriel, while unavoidable, did her no good.
It only gave her headaches. And it was a distraction she could not afford.
She needed a job. She needed to act, because thinking wasn’t going to change anything.
She was already running low on supplies. She needed to take care of herself.
With that resolve, Nicole got out of bed and walked into the kitchen to retrieve her first aid kit. She took some painkillers, then headed to the bathroom to shower, determined to push forward—no matter how hard it felt.