Camella returned home earlier than usual, around 1 p.m., her heart light with excitement. She was going to surprise Gabriel with his favorite lunch—roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and a special salad. He had been away for some days, and though it wasn't unusual for his business to keep him out of town, this time felt like centuries to her. Her mind was clouded with everything that had happened before, but today, she wanted to focus on the good things.As she chopped the vegetables and stirred the sauce, the aroma began filling every corner of the house. She smiled to herself, imagining Gabriel's reaction when he walked in and saw the spread. It was a small gesture, but she knew how much he loved her cooking.Suddenly, she felt a presence. She turned and noticed Anna standing in the doorway, arms folded, watching her quietly. Camella chose to ignore her, turning back to her cooking."You're making food?" Anna’s voice broke the silence, her tone hinting at sarcasm.Camella continued c
Gabriel’s eyes widened in surprise, and Anna took advantage of his shock before he could fully react. She moved closer, leaning in to kiss him, but Gabriel grabbed her shoulders, gently pushing her back."Stop it, Anna!" His voice was firm, both amazed and upset by her actions.Anna blinked, confused. "What? I said I love you.""I heard you," Gabriel replied, his tone soft but persistent. "But I'm sorry, I don’t feel the same way."Anna’s face twisted with disbelief. She has never expected an outright rejection. "No, no… that can’t be true."Gabriel sighed, trying to be as gentle as possible. "It’s the truth. I’ve never thought of you in that way. What I feel for you is more like agape love. Pure and selfless, but not romantic."Tears welled up in Anna’s eyes. "Why? What does Camella have that I don’t? Is it because of Jessie?"Gabriel shook his head. "No, it's not about that. I truly love Camella. I always have, and I always will. No one can take her place in my heart."Anna's voice
Anna entered the house, pushing the door open with an air of confidence. Jia, the housekeeper, appeared at the entrance, greeting her politely. "Welcome, Ms. Anna."Anna frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You should've locked the door, Jia," she scolded lightly.Jia, looking a bit flustered, apologized immediately. "I'm sorry, Ms. Anna." She took Anna's luggage, her brow furrowing as she studied Anna’s face. "Are you okay, Ms. Anna?"Anna gave her a sharp look. "Don’t I look okay?"Jia hesitated, then spoke gently, "You look a bit pale."Anna opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a sudden wave of nausea hit her. Her stomach twisted, and she bolted toward the nearby room, barely making it to the bathroom. Jia stood frozen in shock, unsure whether to follow her or stay put. Moments later, Anna emerged, dabbing the back of her hand against her mouth. She looked weak, her face paler than before. Jia rushed toward her again."Are you okay, Ms. Anna?" Jia asked, her voice
Camella took a step closer to Gabriel, her eyes filled with curiosity. "How long have you been standing there?" Gabriel asked with a slight smile on his face.She shrugged, moving even closer. "Long enough to see you're planning something big."Gabriel raised an eyebrow, a playful expression on his face. "You know me, always thinking ahead."Camella smiled softly but couldn't hide the flicker of curiosity in her eyes. "I hope whatever you're planning works out.""It will," Gabriel replied confidently. "It always does."Their eyes locked, and for a moment, it felt as though everything around them disappeared. There was a brief silence between them before Camella spoke again."Are you really going to build a mall?" she asked, her voice almost hesitant.Gabriel nodded. "You heard that.""Yeah," Camella replied. "But it would require a lot of funds, you know.""I know," he said, his tone calm and collected. "I'll handle it. I need to build that mall so I can reinstate my old staff from th
Barry took a step closer, eyeing Vincent, who stood with a grimace. The air between them was heavy, filled with tension. "How are things going for Gabriel?" Vincent asked, his voice low, almost daring Barry to give him bad news."He's excelling again," Barry said, his tone a mixture of surprise and reluctance. "He wants to build a mall. The biggest one in the country, from what I've heard."Vincent's eyes widened in disbelief. His face twisted in irritation. "Really? After I made that supermarket of his vanish? I’m sure he lost a fortune from that, yet here he is, planning a whole multipurpose mall?" He scoffed, the bitterness in his voice unmistakable.Barry nodded, his expression serious. "Rumors are swirling that the minister met with him to honor him. Gabriel’s definitely a low-key zillionaire."Vincent's fists clenched, his knuckles turning white. "I hate that he's hiding that fact," he muttered, pacing back and forth. "I’ll ruin him. I’ll reduce him to nothing."Barry watched hi
Gabriel was leaving the site at 6:30 PM when he saw Camella pull up in front of him. She stepped out of the car, her face lighting up as she walked over and kissed him on the cheek."How’s everything going, hubby?" she asked, her voice warm."Fine, my darling," Gabriel replied, wrapping an arm around her waist. "How was your day?""Pff, tiring as always," she sighed dramatically, "But I decided to drop by and see if I’d be lucky enough to catch you. I want us to go home together."He smiled, appreciating the thoughtfulness. "That’s so sweet of you, but…" He paused, glancing behind him nervously. "I need to go somewhere now.""For what?" Camella raised an eyebrow, her smile fading slightly."For a dinner meeting," Gabriel said quickly."With who?" she asked, curiosity creeping into her voice.Gabriel hesitated. He wanted to tell her the truth, but he knew she wouldn't like the fact that he was going to Anna's house. "Just… a business partner," he offered, a half-truth slipping from his
The next morning, Gabriel stirred, groaning softly as he slowly opened his eyes. He felt groggy, his head heavy. As he turned to his side, his heart sank. There, next to him, was Anna, lying beneath the duvet, her bare shoulder exposed. His breath caught in his throat.Anna blinked awake, feigning surprise as she looked at Gabriel. "Gabriel... what happened?" she asked, her voice laced with fake confusion.Gabriel stared at her, his mind racing. "What… what’s going on?" he asked, dread rising in his chest.Anna glanced down at her body, pulling the duvet tighter around herself as if only now realizing her state. She gasped, her eyes wide with feigned shock. "We… we did it," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.Gabriel’s eyes darted around the room, seeing his clothes scattered across the floor. His heart raced as he turned back to Anna. "What do you mean…?"Anna nodded, biting her lip. "We had sex last night, Gabriel."He stared at her in disbelief, struggling to comprehend w
Camella returned to her office after a team meeting, her mind buzzing with the tasks she needed to accomplish for the day. But as she stepped inside, she froze in surprise. Her usually plain office was now decorated with colorful balloons and flowers, with a few cards neatly placed on her desk. She blinked, taking in the sight, wondering who had gone through the trouble of decorating the space.Her eyes darted around, scanning every corner of the room. That’s when Gabriel stepped out from the shadowed corner near the bookshelf. He held up a handful of small, pastel-colored apology postcards, each with handwritten notes. “Surprise!” he said, a playful grin on his face.Camella sighed and walked over to her desk, placing her files down with a thud. Gabriel, sensing her feigned annoyance, followed her. "Why are you here, Gabriel?" she asked, not looking at him. "And why have you turned my office into a..." she gestured at the decorations, "a birthday party venue?"Gabriel smiled, undete