Chapter 28
Helen walked back into the party, her eyes immediately scanning the room as she searched for her son. When she finally spotted him, she noticed he was engaged in conversation with someone, so she began walking toward them. As she drew closer, recognition dawned on her face—it was Samantha.
Helen slowed her steps slightly, her brows knitting together as a thought crossed her mind.
Could Samantha be the reason Nicole looked a little sad earlier?
She remembered the subtle change in Nicole’s expression before she left, the way her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Helen knew Nicole was hiding something, but she also knew better than to pressure her into speaking before she was ready.
Whatever it was, Nicole would’ve told her if she wanted to.
“Samantha? I didn’t know you were here,” Helen said once she reached them, surprise evident in her voice.
“It’s good to see you again, Helen,” Samantha replied smoothly, a polite smile gracing her lips.
“Me too, dear…” Helen paused briefly before continuing, her tone warm but purposeful. “Um, can I steal my son from you for a while? I need to talk to him.”
“Sure,” Samantha said easily. “We can continue our conversation later, right, Gabe?” she added, turning to Gabriel.
Gabriel simply smiled in response before stepping away with his mother, leaving Samantha behind.
As soon as they were a short distance away, Gabriel’s expression shifted. He glanced around the room, confusion settling in.
“Where is Nicole?” he asked suddenly, realizing she hadn’t been by his side for quite some time.
“I should be the one asking you that,” Helen replied, giving him a pointed look.
“She was with me a while ago,” Gabriel said, his eyes sweeping the room again, hoping to spot her familiar figure among the guests.
“I saw her going to the bedroom. She wasn’t looking so good,” Helen said gently. “Did she say anything to you about not feeling well?”
Her words made him frown. She was fine just a while ago, he thought.
“I’ll go check on her,” Gabriel said decisively.
“Okay, son,” Helen replied, watching him as he headed upstairs toward the bedroom.
Nicole leaned back against the door the moment she stepped into the room. As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, a tear rolled down her cheek, catching her by surprise. She didn’t even know why she was crying.
She quickly wiped the tear away with the back of her hand, determined not to let herself break down.
But the moment her eyes landed on the giant teddy bear resting quietly in the room, something inside her snapped.
The emotions she had been holding back rushed forward all at once, and she burst into tears.
Gabriel must care so much about that lady to not even care anymore about her presence, she thought bitterly.
Maybe she was an ex-girlfriend… or a lover.
The way Samantha had openly flirted with him right in front of her replayed in her mind, making her chest ache even more.
The jealousy she felt mixed painfully with hurt, and her tears fell harder.
She rushed over to the teddy bear and wrapped her arms around it tightly, burying her face into its soft fur as she cried.
“Stop being jealous, Nicole,” she whispered to herself. “You mean nothing to him. You’re just here to play the role of a fiancée, so don’t overstep your boundaries.”
She sniffed and wiped her tears away, forcing herself to calm down.
After a few moments, she straightened up. She knew she couldn’t stay like this. What if someone walks in? Taking a deep breath, she decided to wash her face, redo her makeup, and return to the party as if nothing had happened.
Gabriel entered the bedroom a few minutes later and was surprised to find it empty. He paused, then noticed the faint sound of running water coming from the bathroom. Understanding dawned on him.
He moved further into the room and sat down on one of the armchairs, deciding to wait for Nicole to come out.
As he waited, his thoughts spiraled. Did she leave the party because she was shy around the crowd? Or maybe she got bored? He frowned.
He mentally scolded himself for not paying enough attention to her earlier. He had been so caught up talking to Samantha that he hadn’t even noticed when Nicole left his side. If she had suddenly felt sick, he should have known. But he hadn’t. And that made him feel careless—stupid, even.
He knew Nicole wasn’t used to being around so many people, especially strangers.
And Samantha hadn’t helped at all by acting so flirty and overly familiar with him right in front of Nicole.
He hadn’t wanted to confront her in front of the guests and cause a scene, so he’d pretended not to notice.
But now he realized he needed to clear things up.
He didn’t want Nicole getting the wrong impression of him because of Samantha.
The bathroom door finally opened.
Nicole stepped out and froze when she saw Gabriel sitting there.
“You’re here!” she exclaimed, quickly closing the door behind her. Her heart skipped nervously as she hoped he couldn’t tell she’d been crying.
“Yes,” Gabriel replied, standing up and walking toward her. “I realized you were no longer beside me, and Mom said you didn’t look well, so I came to check on you. Are you okay?”
Nicole blinked, momentarily stunned. How could Helen see right through her like that?
What excuse was she going to give him now? She wondered.
“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I’m fine.”
Gabriel stared at her, clearly unconvinced. He studied her face, his eyes filled with doubt. Nicole stole a glance at him and knew instantly—he wasn’t going to let this go without an explanation.
“Okay, okay,” she said quickly. “I left the party because I didn’t want anyone asking me intimate questions about us, which would be difficult to answer, you know… and I also needed to retouch my makeup.”
She gave him a fake smile, hoping he would believe her.
Gabriel visibly relaxed.
His suspicion had been right—she was uncomfortable around unfamiliar faces. That explained it. Still, Nicole noticed his sudden unease as he scratched the back of his neck and avoided her gaze.
“Gabriel?” she called softly.
“The lady you saw with me a while ago…” he began.
“Gabriel, it’s okay,” Nicole cut in gently. “I’m in no position to know who she was or is to you.”
“No,” he said firmly. “I need to tell you. I’ve been wanting to get this off my chest for some time now.”
“Okay,” she replied, nodding in understanding.
Gabriel reached for her hand and guided her toward the bed. They both sat down side by side.
“Charles and I knew Samantha from college,” Gabriel began.
Nicole nodded, silently encouraging him to continue.
“The three of us became best friends as time went by. After Ashley broke up with me… I became depressed. Sam was there for me—she comforted me, encouraged me, tried to help me move on.” He paused briefly before continuing.
“And… something happened along the line. We ended up in bed—about three times.”
Nicole felt her heart shatter at his words.
So that’s why, she thought painfully. No wonder she was flirting with him without shame.
The reality hit her hard. She had no chance—none at all. Unlike her, Samantha actually meant something to Gabriel. She was his best friend. Someone he had been intimate with.
Nicole didn’t think she could handle hearing any more. Her heart already felt broken, and she didn’t want to break down in front of him and reveal feelings she had no right to have.
“I felt bad every time it happened,” Gabriel continued. “Because I never saw her that way.”
“So I told her we needed to stop whatever it was we were doing,” he said earnestly. “I felt nothing for her, and I didn’t want to lead her on and hurt her in the end. Besides, we both knew what we were doing was wrong. The sooner we stopped, the better for both of us.”
Relief washed over Nicole at his words. At least he didn’t have feelings for Samantha. She needed that reassurance—needed to know he felt nothing at all—because Samantha was undeniably a threat to any relationship.
Almost immediately, Nicole felt guilty for thinking that way. She was being selfish. These feelings shouldn’t even exist. She would be out of Gabriel’s life soon, and he deserved someone who could love him fully—someone better than her.
“How did she take it?” Nicole asked quietly.
She already knew the answer based on what she’d seen earlier that night, but she wanted to know if he saw it too.
“She took it well… I guess,” Gabriel replied.
Even as he said it, he didn’t sound convinced. He knew Samantha had always had feelings for him, and from her behavior tonight, it was clear she hadn’t moved on. He just didn’t know how to make her understand that his feelings would never change—without destroying their friendship.
Nicole noticed the uncertainty in his expression. Part of her felt he should give Samantha a chance if he liked her even a little. But she quickly shook that thought away—it didn’t even sound convincing to her.
She reached out and gently placed her hands over his, smiling softly.
“I’m sure she understands,” she said, hoping to ease the tension.
She would think about Gabriel and Samantha later. For now, she still had a contract to fulfill.
Gabriel felt grateful for Nicole’s understanding. He didn’t need Samantha anymore—not when he had Nicole in his life and had finally managed to forget Ashley.
Why was this relationship based on a contract in the first place? He wondered.
“Shall we?” Nicole said, standing up. “We don’t want to keep our guests waiting, wondering where we are.”
Instead of responding, Gabriel pulled her back gently, making her sit on his lap. Nicole gasped softly, completely caught off guard.
“If they don’t see us, they’ll leave,” he said with a playful smirk.
“You’re a bad host,” Nicole whispered.
Gabriel smiled but didn’t move. The thought of returning to the party—of seeing Samantha again—made him hesitate.
“So… do you like your gift?” he asked, glancing at the giant teddy bear.
“I love it. Thank you, but—”
“But?” Gabriel asked, suddenly concerned. Maybe she didn’t like the color. Or maybe it was too big.
“I got used to cuddling someone else a day ago,” she said, surprising him.
He frowned slightly, confused. Most girls loved cuddling teddy bears. So, what did she get used to cuddling?
“And what is that, if I may ask?” he asked.
“You silly,” she replied with a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Gabriel responded instantly, his arms circling her waist, his face inches from hers.
“Is that so?” he asked teasingly, his lips hovering dangerously close.
Butterflies exploded in Nicole’s stomach. Embarrassed, she hid her face in the crook of his neck to conceal her blush.
Gabriel smiled at her reaction and kissed her hair softly.
“Let’s go to bed,” he said gently.
He carefully laid her down, removed her shoes, then took off his own shoes and jacket. Pulling the duvet over them, he wrapped his arms around her. Nicole snuggled closer, and soon, they both drifted off to sleep, held safely in each other’s arms.