Shattered Trust
The air in the secluded corner of the park felt like ice. The neon glow of the amusement park was a distant memory, replaced by the suffocating darkness of the trees. Gabriella stood trembling, her white top now ruined by the jagged red stain spreading across her palms. She had caught the blade with her bare hands to save the guy she once loved.
The Bleeding Truth
Ajax let go of the knife's handle, his face a mask of pure shock. The metal clattered onto the pavement, slick with Gabriella's blood. Jake stood frozen, his heart melting as he stared at her. "Gabby..." he whispered, his voice thick with an emotion he hadn't felt in years.
But Gabriella didn't look at him with love. She looked at him with a heavy, painful protection. "You can go," she gasped, clutching her bleeding hand to her chest.
"Gabby, let me help—" Jake started, stepping forward.
"Please! Just go away from here!" she cried out. Her voice was raw, desperate to keep the two men she knew from destroying each other. Jake hesitated, looked at her one last time, and disappeared into the shadows.
Gabriella turned to Ajax, her eyes brimming with tears and confusion. "Why did you do this, Ajax? Since when did you become a killer?"
Ajax's face didn't soften. It turned stone-cold. "Do you think you can rescue him from me every time?" he roared, the sound echoing through the trees. "What happened to you, Gabriella? Where is your revenge? Where is the girl who wanted justice for Kevin?"
"I'm still doing it!" she snapped back, her voice shaking. "But I know Jake. He couldn't kill Kevin. He couldn't kill anyone!"
Ajax scoffed, a dark, bitter sound. "Did you even watch the pendrive in that post I sent?"
Gabriella's eyes narrowed. "Pendrive? What are you talking about? Wait... was it you? You sent the mysterious photos and the letters?"
Ajax's jaw tightened. "Yes. And I don't understand how you can blindly support him after seeing what was on that drive."
"I didn't see a pendrive, Ajax," she whispered, her heart sinking.
"Look at it first," Ajax said, turning his back on her. "Then come and tell me I'm wrong." He walked away, leaving her alone in the dark.
Panic suddenly flared in her chest—not for Ajax, and not for Jake. Felix. She remembered his face from the restaurant, the way he had defended her, the kiss that still burned on her lips.
She ignored the stinging pain in her hand and rushed back toward the fancy restaurant. Her cargo pants were dusty, her hair a mess, and her breath coming in ragged gasps. She burst through the doors, scanning the plush velvet booths.
The table was empty.
A waitress approached her, holding out Gabriella's phone. "The gentleman you were with... he's already gone," she said softly. "He asked me to give you this and let you know he couldn't wait."
Gabriella took the phone, her fingers leaving bloody smudges on the screen. Why did he leave so suddenly? she thought, a cold pit forming in her stomach. She didn't know that Felix had stood in the shadows of the park, watching her bleed for Jake. He hadn't seen a hero; he had seen a girl who was still in love with his enemy.
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The Warning
The morning sun beat down on the Royal Group's private parking lot, making the luxury cars shimmer like polished glass. Raina strode toward her vehicle, looking every bit the cold heiress in a sharp lilac power suit and stiletto heels. Her eyes were glued to her phone, her thumb flicking through business reports with icy focus.
She stopped short when a shadow blocked her path. "Hey! Move it!" she snapped, not even looking up.
The figure didn't budge. Raina looked up, her annoyance turning into a look of pure shock. Standing in front of her car was Felix.
He looked effortlessly cool and dangerously calm, wearing a sleek black bomber jacket over a dark tee, with classic black aviator glasses hiding his eyes. He looked like the lead in an action movie, but the vibe he gave off was pure warning.
"Felix..." Raina whispered, her heart skipping a beat.
Felix gave a tiny, ghost of a smile before his face turned to stone.
Raina recovered quickly, a mocking smirk playing on her lips. "I heard a rumor. You're chasing my enemy so badly it's almost embarrassing. Am I right?"
Felix shoved one hand into his jacket pocket, looking totally unfazed. "Yes. That's exactly right." He stepped closer, the air between them turning heavy. "So... don't mess with her again. The waiter plan last night? Don't even think about a sequel."
Raina's smirk vanished instantly. Her pulse hammered in her throat as she realized Felix was much better informed than she thought.
Felix looked down at his feet. He knelt slowly, tightening the lace on his leather boot. "These always get loose," he whispered to himself before standing back up.
"You have no right!" Raina shouted, pointing a trembling finger at him. "You'd better stay away, Felix. This is between me and that girl. It's personal." She scoffed, turning her back on him to get into her car.
"I already warned you before," Felix said, his voice cold and steady without even turning to look at her. "Did you forget what I'm capable of?"
Raina ignored him and reached for her designer handbag to grab her keys. She froze. Her pocket was empty.
"Looking for these?"
Raina spun around. Felix was dangling her luxury car keys from his finger, a dark, dangerous smirk on his face. He had swiped them while he was "fixing his shoe."
"How could you go to your car if the keys are over here?" Felix asked mockingly. His gaze turned icy, the playfulness gone. "You know me well, Raina. You know how far I can go. You can't touch Gabriella. Not as long as I'm standing beside her."
He tossed the keys through the air. Raina caught them with a frustrated jerk.
Felix adjusted his glasses, his voice a low, haunting growl. "Next time, don't be so careless. If you mess with her again, I won't just take your keys. I'll make sure you lose something much, much bigger."
He turned on his heel and began to walk away, his silhouette sharp against the morning light. Raina slammed her foot against the pavement in a silent, burning fury, her eyes fixed on his retreating back.
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The Ghosts of St. Jude
The bus hummed a low, vibrating tune as it cut through the city, but Gabriella didn't hear it. She was staring out the window, her mind trapped inside the grainy, horrifying footage from the pendrive.
In her mind, the scene played on a loop. Raina stood there, her hands trembling like leaves in a storm, staring down at Kevin. He was lying on the cold ground, barely conscious, his breath coming in ragged, painful gasps. His head was bleeding, staining the concrete a dark, visceral red.
But it was Jake who haunted her the most. He didn't look horrified. He looked cold. He stood there like a statue, watching a human life flicker out without blinking. He had simply grabbed Raina's arm and dragged her away, leaving Kevin to die alone in the dark.
Gabriella snapped her eyes open, her chest heaving. A hot, bitter anger surged through her. How could you, Jake? she thought, her knuckles turning white. I knew you broke my heart, but I never knew you didn't have a soul. Her eyes burned a deep, vengeful red as she realized the man she once loved was a monster.
The bus screeched to a halt at her stop. Gabriella stepped off, looking sharp yet somber in a midnight-blue trench coat cinched at the waist and black slim-fit trousers. She stood before a weathered brick building: St. Jude's Orphanage.
The air here felt heavy, smelling of damp stone and old paper. She walked inside, her heart hammering. "I need the adoption records from eighteen years ago," she told the woman at the front desk, her voice steady despite the tremor in her soul.
The in-charge barely looked up, her face a mask of cold bureaucracy. "Those files are private. I cannot give you any details without a court order."
Gabriella felt a wave of crushing disappointment. As she turned to leave, she didn't notice a young lady in a nurse's uniform watching her from the shadows of the hallway, her eyes wide with recognition.
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An Unexpected Encounter
Gabriella stepped back out into the cool air, her shoulders slumped. Suddenly, a voice called her name.
"Gabriella? What are you doing here?"
Gabriella spun around to see Jasmine, Kevin's mother. Jasmine looked frail, dressed in a simple grey cardigan and a long black skirt, her eyes still carrying the heavy weight of grief.
Gabriella's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't tell her the truth yet. She forced a smooth, gentle smile. "Oh! Jasmine. I... I met a social worker at college who mentioned this place. I came to make a donation in Kevin's memory."
Jasmine's face softened instantly, a look of pure relief washing over her. She reached out and squeezed Gabriella's hand. "You have such a kind heart, dear. Kevin would have been so proud of the friend he chose."
Jasmine gestured toward a tall building a few blocks away. "I moved into a small apartment nearby last month. Come, have some tea with me."
Gabriella followed Jasmine into the quiet, modest apartment.
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The Weight of secrets
The apartment was a labyrinth of half-packed boxes and scattered memories. Jasmine, Kevin's mother, looked exhausted as she navigated through the mess. She sighed, her hair pulled back into a messy, weary bun.
"Sorry, dear," Jasmine sighed, clearing a space. "I was in the middle of arranging things for the move."
"Let me help you," Gabriella insisted. She began neatly stacking books, her midnight-blue trench coat discarded on the sofa. As she worked, Jasmine brought out a glass of juice and brushed a stray hair from Gabriella's face.
"You haven't changed a bit," Jasmine whispered.
"I'm still your naughty girl, Auntie," Gabriella teased. Jasmine froze, a look of wonder crossing her face that Gabriella still used that old nickname.
The peace shattered when Jasmine lifted a heavy document box. The bottom gave way, and papers spilled across the floor like autumn leaves. Gabriella knelt to help, but her eyes locked onto a familiar heading. It was the exact same adoption document she had seen in Roselette's closet.
Jasmine lunged for it, snatching it away with trembling hands. "It's nothing! Just property papers!"
"Stop it," Gabriella said, her voice dropping to a haunting, deep tone. "I know what it is. It's my adoption file. Tell me the truth."
Jasmine's strength vanished. She dropped the paper and sank onto the sofa, her face crumbling.
"Roselette was my best friend," Jasmine began, her voice thick with emotion. "When she left the mansion years ago, she came to me holding her real daughter. She was hiding, waiting for Frederick to return from abroad. But then... the fever came."
Jasmine grabbed Gabriella's hand. "Her real daughter died, Gabriella. Roselette lost her mind. She couldn't recover. To save her, I arranged for an adoption—a baby who looked just like her lost child. Andria. That was you."
Gabriella felt the world tilt. She wasn't a belong to this elite world. She was a replacement.
"She raised you as her own," Jasmine pleaded. "She never even told Frederick. She loves you so much that even a biological mother couldn't compete. Please, Gabriella... forget this. Live for the parents who gave you the world."
A single, hot tear landed on the document. Gabriella nodded slowly. "I promise."
Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to the kitchen, smelling something burning on the stove.
Gabriella began putting the papers back into the box, her heart still heavy. But as she reached for the last folder, another paper caught her eye. Her eyes widened, and her breath hitched in her throat.
It was another adoption document. This one wasn't from St. Jude's; it was from a private trust named as Marina pvt Trust.
Gabriella's hands shook as she realized the date. Kevin was adopted too. But it has written name of the biological mother too "Marina".
Gabriella whipped out her phone and snapped a photo of the document just as she heard Jasmine's footsteps returning. She shoved the paper back into the box, her mind spinning with a terrifying new theory.
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The Vow in the Shadows
The Gabriella's mansion felt cold despite the warm evening glow. Gabriella stepped through the grand mahogany doors, her mind still reeling from the secrets she had uncovered about her birth and Kevin's past.
In the living room, Felix was leaning against the sofa, looking effortlessly sharp in a white button-down with the top two buttons undone, revealing a hint of his collarbone. He was chatting with Frederick.
"How is the hand injury?" Frederick asked, gesturing to where the bandage used to be.
"The stitches are out. I'm fine, Uncle," Felix replied with a polite nod.
Roselette appeared with a tray of coffee, her eyes landing on Gabriella standing frozen by the door. Felix turned, his gaze instantly locking onto her. Gabriella felt a surge of exhaustion. "I'm a little tired. I'm going to my room," she muttered, avoiding Felix's intense stare as she hurried upstairs.
Roselette gave an awkward smile. "Don't take it seriously, Felix. I'll go talk to her."
"Don't, Auntie," Felix said, his voice casual but firm. "I'll go."
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A Heartbeat Away
Gabriella's bedroom door was slightly ajar. Inside, she began to change out of her midnight-blue trench coat. She had just undone two buttons of her shirt, revealing her bare shoulder and the lace of her underclothes, when she heard a floorboard creak.
She spun around. Felix was standing there. For a split second, his eyes trailed over her exposed skin. He swallowed hard, his throat tightening, and he quickly jerked his gaze toward the wall.
Gabriella gasped, clutching the fabric of her shirt over her chest. "What are you doing?!"
Felix regained his composure, though a faint flush crept up his neck. "Sorry. I... I came to see if you were alright. Your face looked so dull downstairs."
Gabriella scoffed, her heart racing from the intrusion. "You come into my room without knocking just to ask if I'm alright?"
As she spoke, her grip on her shirt loosened unknowingly, revealing a glimpse of her collarbone again. Felix's eyes flickered toward her and then immediately away. "You should... button up," he muttered.
Blushing furiously, Gabriella finished her buttons. To hide her embarrassment, she stepped closer. "Why are you even here at this hour?"
Felix's playful smirk returned. He winked, leaning against her wardrobe. "Can't I come over? I am your future husband, after all."
Gabriella rolled her eyes and went to lean her head back against the wardrobe in frustration, but she misjudged the distance. Before her head could hit the hard wood, Felix's hand shot out, cradling the back of her head to protect her.
The air in the room suddenly turned electric.
Felix pinned her between his body and the wardrobe. One hand was braced against the wood; the other was behind her head. Gabriella's gaze fell to his veiny hands and then to the sharp line of his jaw. She was so close she could smell the scent of rain and expensive cologne clinging to him.
"Why did you leave me at the park?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Felix's smirk vanished. He couldn't tell her he had seen her protecting Jake. He couldn't tell her his heart had broken in the shadows. "I had an urgent client meeting," he lied, his voice soft.
Gabriella looked down, her lower lip trembling like a disappointed child. "Oh."
"Look at me, Gabriella," Felix commanded. His tone was now heavy and serious. When she met his eyes, he continued, "Whatever happens, I'm not going to lose you. I won't leave you. I will win your heart... even if my five-date challenge fails, I'm not giving up."
A gentle breeze blew through the open window, fluttering the curtains. Felix leaned in and placed a soft, lingering kiss on her forehead. It felt like a promise.
Felix began to turn away, ready to give her space, but he felt a firm tug on his sleeve.
Gabriella had grabbed his hand. Her face was no longer dull or tired; it was set in a line of fierce, steady determination. She looked him straight in the eye, her voice unwavering.
"You don't have to wait for two more dates, Felix," she said, the weight of her revenge and her newfound secrets fueling her words. "Let's marry. Felix."
Felix froze. The air left his lungs as he stared at her, searching her face for any sign of a joke. But Gabriella's expression remained serious, steady, and cold.
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To be Continued....
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