After Greg drifted back to sleep, Leo and Ruth quietly stepped out of the ward, their footsteps echoing softly in the hospital hallway. Ruth’s face was pale, and her hands trembled slightly as she clutched her shawl tightly around her shoulders. “I hope we made the right decision by lying to him about Gabriel?” she asked, her voice shaky.Leo glanced at her, his expression calm but resolute. “Yes,” he replied. “It's best Greg thinks Gabriel is gone. It might stop him from being obsessed with proving himself to my father."“But what if your father finds out that Greg didn't kill Gabriel?” Ruth pressed, worry etched on her face. “What if he discovers we helped Gabriel escape?”Leo sighed, pausing for a moment to think. “He won't find out,” he reassured her. “We’ll keep this secret between us.”Ruth bit her lip, still unconvinced. “But what if Gabriel shows up in the capital again and tries to kill your father?”Leo stopped walking and turned to face her, his expression firm. “If that ha
Gabriel rushed into the hospital moments after the taxi dropped him off. His heart pounded as he hurried down the hall, searching for Camella’s room after being told what room she was in. Finally, he found it and pushed the door open.Camella’s face darkened with anger when she saw him. "Where were you?" she demanded, her voice sharp. "Don’t even try to touch me!" She flinched as he reached for her. "Go back to wherever you were yesterday, Gabriel.""I'm sorry, Camella," he pleaded. "I got caught up in something…""Something more important than me, right?" she shot back, her eyes filled with hurt. "I almost died, and you didn’t bother to come. Everyone was here, worried about me, except you. What was so important that kept you away? You always disappear when I need you most. Is this a new habit of yours?""Camella, please, it's not like that," Gabriel tried to explain, his voice calm yet desperate. "I had to handle something urgent—"“Don’t lie to me, Gabriel!” she cut him off, raisi
Master Russell’s eyes narrowed. "Why is your car in Springfield City, Leo? Did you go there?" His tone was sharp, his walking stick tapping impatiently on the floor.Leo swallowed hard. "No, we didn’t, Father. The thing is… we were robbed," he lied, his voice shaky. Ruth quickly added, emphasizing, "Yes, we were robbed."Master Russell’s gaze sharpened. "Why didn’t you say so earlier?" he asked, his suspicion evident.Leo hesitated. "We didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily. I was going to see if I can track the thieves later."Greg, standing to the side, looked puzzled, glancing between his parents and his grandfather, wondering if they were telling the truth."Greg!" Master Russell barked, his voice louder. "Did you know about this robbery?"Greg blinked, caught off guard. "Uh… I'm sorry, Grandfather. What did you say?""I asked if you knew about the robbery!" Master Russell repeated, his voice stern.Greg shifted uncomfortably before nodding. "Yes… they mentioned it to me on our
As Gabriel reached Camella's ward, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the caller ID—Mike. He answered it, his voice steady, “Mike, what's going on?”“Gabriel, I... I’m so sorry about the fire at the supermarket,” Mike stammered, guilt heavy in his tone. “I feel like it’s my fault. I should have been more alert.”Gabriel exhaled slowly, “Mike, it’s not your fault. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Whoever did this will pay, I promise you.”“But Gabriel, the loss is... it’s huge,” Mike continued, his voice thick with worry. “The supermarket was severely damaged. I tried to save the goods, but the fire spread too fast.”Gabriel nodded to himself, feeling the weight of Mike's words but keeping his calm. “Mike, listen to me. I’m not worried about the loss. We can recover from this. I just need to know who did it.”Mike seemed surprised. “You’re not bothered about the loss?”“No,” Gabriel replied firmly. “I just need to know if anyone was hurt.”“No staff got hurt, Gabriel. Thank God y
Greg was deep in sleep, his lips curled into a smile as he dreamed of being in charge of his grandfather’s vast business empire. He could almost hear the applause of his colleagues and see the admiration in their eyes. But then, he felt something cold and hard pressing against his forehead. Slowly, he opened his eyes and almost screamed. A gun was pointed at him, held by his grandfather, Master Russell.“You seem to have lied to me when you returned,” Russell’s voice was low, filled with a threatening calm. His eyes were sharp, cold, and unforgiving, fixed on Greg’s face. “Tell me the truth.”Greg blinked rapidly, still waking up from his dream. “I... I didn’t lie, Grandfather,” he stammered, sitting up slowly. “I swear, everything I told you was true.”Russell cocked the gun, his finger hovering over the trigger. Greg’s heart raced. “This is your last chance, boy. What really happened? If you don’t tell me, I will kill you.”Fear gripped Greg, and his voice trembled. “Alright, alrigh
The next day, Anna strolled confidently into Gabriel's house. She found Camella in the living room, who was surprised to see her but didn't let it show."Hello, Camella. I heard you got discharged yesterday. I hope you're feeling better," Anna said, her voice dripping with exaggerated concern.Camella nodded, her expression guarded. "I'm good.""Great," Anna replied, looking around as if searching for something. Then, she started calling out, her tone playful and slightly flirty, "Gabriel! Gabriel, are you here?"Camella's eyes narrowed. "Why are you calling for Gabriel?" Anna turned to her, a bold look in her eyes. "Why else would I call him if not to see him?"Camella rolled her eyes, annoyed. Before she could respond, Marie, who had overheard the conversation from the kitchen, walked out with a bright smile and hugged Anna warmly."Anna, dear!" Marie greeted. "So nice to see you. You came to visit?""Yes, Aunt Marie," Anna replied, returning the hug. "I wanted to check on Gabriel.
Inside, Master Russell was lounging on a lavish couch, a large cigar dangling from his lips. The smoke curled lazily in the air around him as he took a deep drag, the tip glowing a fiery red. The man in the uniform approached and bowed low."Someone is here to see you, sir."Russell didn't bother looking up. "Name?"The man hesitated, stammering. "Huh, sorry, sir. I forgot to ask."Russell's eyes flashed with irritation, and he shot the man a deadly stare. The guard quickly turned to leave, but Russell's voice stopped him. “Wait. Is it a young-looking man?""Yes, sir."Russell smirked. "Let him in."He glanced up the stairs briefly, inhaling deeply before releasing a cloud of ash-laden smoke. Gabriel's footsteps echoed loudly as he walked in, coming face to face with Russell."You must know me, Russell Walclaw," Gabriel began, his voice firm.Russell looked him over with a grin. "Ah, boy. You look just like my typical adopted son, Oliver. I know you, Gabriel. To what do I owe this v
It was early in the night, and Camella sat by Jessie’s bedside, trying to coax her to sleep. Jessie looked up at her mother with wide, curious eyes, noticing the sadness etched on her face.“Mommy, are you alright?” Jessie asked, her small voice filled with concern.Camella nodded, forcing a smile. "I’m fine, sweetheart."Jessie furrowed her brow. "You didn't look happy with Daddy yesterday before he left."Camella sighed softly. "I know. It’s all my fault. I’m sorry you had to see that."Jessie blinked, tilting her head slightly. "What happened between you two?"Camella hesitated, then replied gently, “My dear… I made a mistake. I often misjudge your Daddy.”Jessie’s face softened. “You feel sorry, Mommy. I’m sure Daddy will understand when you say you’re sorry.”Camella nodded slowly, a small smile touching her lips. "Yes. I know. I'm going to apologize to him properly when he returns."She gently tucked Jessie in, pulling the blanket up to her chin. Leaning down, Camella kissed her