Chapter 8
1320 Words
Today, Emily realized Gabriel's medical skills truly were extraordinary. Even Aaron, who arrogantly called himself a "miracle doctor," and Peter, an expert-level physician, couldn't compare to Gabriel. With just a single sentence, Gabriel saved her grandfather's life.
What amazed Emily even more was Gabriel's humility. He didn't want to humiliate Aaron and Peter, choosing instead to keep things low-key. This was the kind of man he was—mysterious, self-assured, and undeniably captivating. Emily felt a surge of feelings for him. She had to have him.
She sped ahead to try and intercept Gabriel, but he had already called a taxi and disappeared.
Refusing to give up, Emily chased after him in her car.
She was already devising her next move. If winning him over didn't work, she'd set a trap to get him into her bed first. She wasn't about to let him slip away.
***
An angry voice sounded in a standard hospital room at Mercy Hospital.
"Mia, Gabriel hit me. You have to stand up for me this time!"
Dominic lay on the hospital bed, clutching Mia's hand tightly as he cursed under his breath.
His head was wrapped in thick layers of bandages, leaving only his eyes, nose, and mouth visible.
"Don't worry, Dominic. I won't let him get away with it," Mia said, sitting on a chair by his bedside. She held his hand, her tone full of concern.
"Mia, Gabriel's really got some nerve. How dare he do this to you?" a voice interrupted.
The speaker was a handsome man dressed in a sleek designer suit who stood arrogantly by the side of the room.
He was none other than Griffin Davis, the eldest son of the Davis family.
Despite the mayor's son, Tyler, pursuing Evelyn, Griffin remained her most persistent admirer.
"Griffin, you know what? Gabriel went insane today. He slapped Dominic like a psycho, and no one could stop him," Mia said, her face twisted with anger.
"Really? Looks like he's a tough guy, huh?"
Griffin smirked in disdain and added, "Mia, Dominic, I happen to know some people who can handle this. Why don't I help you teach him a lesson?"
Mia's face lit up with joy. "Really? That would be amazing!"
Dominic perked up and shouted eagerly, "Griffin, you have to do it! Get someone to beat him up. Cripple him if you can!"
Griffin's smirk turned sinister. "Consider it done. I'll make sure he's bedridden for life."
Griffin had been waiting for an excuse to deal with Gabriel. A penniless nobody like Gabriel had no right to be married to a beautiful CEO like Evelyn.
He thought this was the perfect chance to crush Gabriel and win Evelyn over.
"Dominic, how are you feeling right now?"
Just then, the door opened, and Evelyn walked in, dressed in a striking red dress.
Her hourglass figure and stunning beauty made Griffin's eyes widen.
"Evelyn, you're finally here. Look at me. Look at what he did to me!" Dominic cried out, sitting up in bed and pointing at his bandaged face.
Evelyn hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.
"Dominic, I've already heard what happened. Gabriel called me to apologize. Let's just leave it at that, okay?"
"Leave it at that?"
Mia's face darkened, and her voice rose sharply. "Evelyn, Dominic was beaten to a pulp, and you think an apology is enough? What do you take us for?"
"Then what do you want to do?" Evelyn met her gaze calmly.
Dominic shouted, "I want Gabriel to slap himself in front of me and apologize!"
"He's my husband—or, well, my ex-husband. Let's not make this worse than it already is," Evelyn reasoned.
"That's bullsh*t! I never acknowledged him as my family!"
"Even so, you should show some decency," Evelyn said, her tone firm. "Besides, you're not entirely innocent in all this, are you?"
"Evelyn, why are you defending an outsider?" Dominic's face twisted with irritation. "What did I do wrong? All I did was throw that worthless jade pendant of his!"
Evelyn's body stiffened, her expression darkening.
"What did you just say? The jade pendant?"
"Yeah, the one you always wore around your neck," Dominic replied with a scoff. "He claimed it was some priceless family heirloom, but to me, it's nothing but junk!"
Evelyn's eyes narrowed. "What exactly did you do with that jade pendant?"
Dominic shrugged, his tone careless.
"Gabriel doesn't know his place. I wanted that jade pendant, so I told him it could cover his three years of freeloading, but he refused to hand it over. I got pissed and threw it in the trash."
"You asked for it!" Evelyn snapped.
Fury surged through her as she knew the truth.
Now she understood why Gabriel had lashed out. It turned out Dominic had tried to take the pendant by force, failed, and then tossed it into the garbage.
Most people wouldn't understand, but Evelyn knew exactly what that jade pendant meant to Gabriel.
It wasn't just a priceless heirloom. It was a connection to his family, a symbol of his longing for his late mother.
When they divorced, Gabriel had given up everything except that pendant.
That alone showed how much it mattered to him.
Dominic, however, looked indignant. "Come on, Evelyn, it's just a stupid piece of jade! Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"
Mia chimed in, her tone sharp, "Exactly! Why are you putting some dumb pendant above my fiancé's pride?"
"We'll talk about this later," Evelyn said curtly, unwilling to argue further. She spun on her heel and stormed out of the hospital room.
Both Mia and Dominic were unreasonable, and her mother twisted the truth, going as far as slandering Gabriel.
And to make matters worse, Evelyn had said things in anger that she now regretted.
If Gabriel hadn't been pushed to his breaking point, would he have acted out like that? She knew the answer.
'I really misunderstood him...' she murmured inwardly.
***
On a wide, quiet street, a silver Rolls-Royce glided smoothly along the road.
"Gabriel, thank you for saving my grandfather's life. Please, take this. It's the Patel family's exclusive VIP card."
Inside the luxurious car, Emily held out a sleek black card with gold trim.
"With this card, you'll have VIP access to all Patel family businesses. You'll receive the best service we can offer."
Earlier, she had chased down the taxi Gabriel took, convinced him to stop, and invited him into her car.
"Emily, this isn't what I need," Gabriel said, shaking his head once again.
She had already offered him two million dollars as a reward, which he had refused, and now he was turning down the card as well.
Emily gave him an awkward smile. "I'm sorry, Gabriel. That thousand-year-old ginseng you wanted has already been used to treat my grandfather."
"But don't worry," she added quickly. "My father has already sent people to search the mountains for another one. As soon as we find it, we'll deliver it to your home right away."
"You're as generous as ever, Emily. Thank you."
Gabriel's lips curved into a faint smile. This time, he took the exclusive VIP card.
Anything Emily offered was bound to be extraordinary.
Screech!
The car jolted to a sudden stop, throwing them forward slightly.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Patel! They made me do it!"
The driver glanced nervously out the window before opening the door and running away.
The next moment, two black vans came speeding toward them, one cutting off the front of the Rolls-Royce, the other blocking the rear.
The van doors slid open, and over a dozen men in black masks poured out, armed with clubs and moving with menacing precision.
Leading them was a hulking man covered in tattoos.
"Ms. Patel, my boss wants to see you. Please come with us."
The tattooed man stepped onto the car's hood with a machete in hand.
- Writer
