CHAPTER 4
1006 Words
"Run, Gabby run!"
The words had barely left Ethan's mouth before panic surged through her body.
Gabby didn't stop to ask questions.
She ran.
The bustling Beverly Hills sidewalk blurred as she pushed through pedestrians.
Her heart pounded violently against her ribs.
Everything was happening too quickly.
One moment she had been trying to survive a contract marriage, the next moment, her cousin was telling her about her father's disappearance, and now someone was chasing them.
She turned the corner sharply.
"Gabby!"
Ethan's voice echoed behind her.
Then came the sound of tires screeching.
A horn blasted.
People screamed.
Gabby stumbled to a stop as a black luxury sedan pulled directly in front of her.
Before she could react, the passenger door flew open.
A familiar voice cut through the chaos.
"Get in."
Her eyes widened. It was Manuel.
For one brief second she simply stared.
"What are you waiting for?" he asked her in a slightly angry tone.
Gabby didn't hesitate again. She climbed inside.
The door slammed shut and the car sped off.
The silence inside the vehicle felt suffocating.
Gabby struggled to catch her breath as her hands trembled visibly on her lap.
Manuel sat beside her, perfectly composed, as if nothing had happened.
His eyes went all over her body, checking for injuries.
Then he asked,
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
The question surprised her.
His shoulders relaxed slightly.
"What happened?" He asked
Gabby opened her mouth to answer but didn't even know how she was supposed to explain what had just happened.
"Ethan found me."
She managed to say.
Manuel frowned.
"Ethan?"
"My cousin."
"Continue."
Gabby swallowed hard.
"He said my father didn't disappear willingly."
For the first time, Manuel's expression changed.
"He said my father discovered something before he vanished." She continued.
The frown on his face deepened but before he could respond, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen with stern eyes and picked the call.
By the time the call ended, his jaw was clenched.
"What happened?" Gabby asked.
"The man who approached you had escaped."
A chill ran down her spine.
So Manuel had known.
He had sent someone after her or perhaps someone had been watching her.
The thought made her uncomfortable.
"You were following me?"
"Protecting you."
His answer came instantly.
Gabby turned towards the window.
She wasn't sure whether to feel grateful or angry, maybe both.
Back at the mansion, Manuel escorted her inside.
The gesture should have felt comforting, instead, it felt unusually formal.
Like a CEO escorting an important client.
Not a husband worried about his wife.
As they entered the mansion, several staff members looked up.
Concern flashed across Ms. Bennett's face.
"Mrs. Reyes?"
"I'm fine," Gabby said immediately.
The housekeeper looked relieved.
Manuel gave a brief instruction.
"Double the security."
"Yes, sir."
Gabby blinked.
Double the security?
The seriousness of the situation suddenly felt very real.
Her father had disappeared, someone had followed her and now security around the estate was being increased.
What exactly had Chris Edian gotten himself into?
At sunset, Gabby sat alone on the terrace overlooking the gardens as golden light spilled across the grounds.
On a normal day, it would have been very beautiful to her, but instead, her mind remained trapped in the day's events.
She barely noticed someone approaching until a jacket settled over her shoulders.
Gabby startled, then froze.
It was Manuel.
He put his suit jacket around her.
"You'll get cold." He said.
The simple statement caught her off guard.
For a moment she didn't know what to say.
"Thank you."
Manuel nodded but made no move to sit beside her.
Of course, that would have been too much.
Instead, he remained standing.
A comfortable moment immediately became awkward.
Gabby sighed internally.
"There it is." She said
"What?" He asked
"The version of you that disappears every time I think you're being nice."
To her surprise, his expression changed into something that looked like amusement.
"You have strange observations."
"I'm an artist."
"That's not an explanation."
"It absolutely is."
To her astonishment, he gave a little laugh. A brief but real laugh.
Gabby's eyes widened.
Manuel Reyes laughed?
Apparently he does, once every century.
The moment lasted for a few seconds before his expression returned to normal, as though it had never happened.
Yet somehow, the memory remained.
And for the first time since their marriage began, Gabby found herself wondering what Manuel looked like when he was genuinely happy.
Later that night, Manuel stood alone in his study room
The events of the day replayed repeatedly in his mind.
The fear on Gabby's face, her trembling hands, the relief he had felt when he confirmed she wasn't hurt.
None of it made sense.
She wasn't supposed to matter.
The marriage was just temporary.
Yet lately, his thoughts seemed to drift towards her.
A knock interrupted him.
"Come in."
The door opened and Mara entered, looking elegant and professional as always.
"Tomorrow's investor meeting has been confirmed."
Manuel nodded.
"Good."
Then she asked carefully,
"How is your wife?"
The question sounded innocent, but something about it felt wrong.
"Why do you ask?" Manuel asked her.
"I'm Concerned."
Her smile was flawless.
Manuel studied her briefly, then returned his attention to the documents on his desk.
"You don't need to concern yourself with Gabby."
The smile on Mara's face stiffened for a second, but it was enough to reveal the jealousy hiding beneath.
Upstairs, completely unaware of Mara's growing resentment, Gabby lay awake in bed.
Her thoughts refused to settle.
She thought about Ethan, the mysterious man, her missing father and Manuel.
Especially Manuel.
The jacket still rested across a nearby chair in her room.
A simple gesture, nothing more, yet somehow it felt important.
Which was ridiculous.
One act of kindness didn't erase his coldness neither did it erase the contract nor the fact that he barely tolerated her.
Still...
As she slowly fell asleep, she found herself remembering the sound of his laugh.
And wondering why it made her smile.
- Writer
