Chapter 41 Gabriel Called Luke
Gabriel’s POV
As soon as she left the house, I sprang to my feet. It was no longer the time to wallow in despair because of her. It was time to take the bull by the horns.
I called Luke again.
"Look, I'm done hearing about how you need time to plan or whatever. I need her taken out now. My life is spiraling into a complete mess, and I can’t just stand by and watch it fall apart," I said, my voice thick with desperation.
"Man, it's risky," Luke replied after a pause. "But if you want me to do it now, I will. Just know that if things go sideways, I'm bailing, and the trail might lead back to you."
Luke’s words made me pause for a moment. But my determination burned hotter than my fear. It had to be now, not later.
"Do it, Luke. I expect good news soon," I said before collapsing onto the edge of the bed.
I was about to settle in for the night in the living room when the front door suddenly flew open.
"Emmanuella?" I blurted, shocked by her dramatic entrance. Why would she do something like that?
She ignored me entirely, her silence cutting through the room like a knife. Her face radiated a fury that was harder than stone, and I knew instantly that something had gone wrong wherever she had been.
I said nothing. Instead, I stepped into the bedroom, changed my clothes, grabbed the car keys, and drove off.
We were like darkness and light—forever unable to coexist. Peace was impossible around her, and staying in the same house when she was there felt unbearable.
I drove to a nearby bar, a place I had never visited before. I wanted anonymity, a new space where no one knew me. This bar fit the bill.
"Two shots of whiskey, please," I said to the bartender as I perched on one of the high chairs at the bar.
He slid the drinks toward me, and I grabbed one. I downed it in a single gulp, my eyes drifting to the TV screen mounted in the corner of the room.
“Another victory for Rebecca Harrington as she sells 5,000 units of her new product in just five seconds! If she can do this in five seconds, imagine what she could achieve in one minute—or one hour!"
I read the scrolling banner aloud under Rebecca’s smiling picture. A heavy sigh escaped me.
"If only I could turn back time. I never would have made the mistake of choosing Emmanuella over Rebecca," I muttered bitterly.
I grabbed the second shot of whiskey and downed it, my eyes fixed on the TV.
“This is a groundbreaking record, not just for Rebecca Harrington, but for the entire state of Mandena! Her sales have shattered the Guinness World Record. Rebecca Harrington, a proud citizen of Mandena, now holds the title.”
"Two more shots of whiskey!" I called out to the bartender, my gaze still glued to the screen. I couldn’t stop imagining what it would feel like if that success was mine—if my name was the one immortalized in the Guinness World Records for Mandena.
Suddenly, my phone began to ring. I fished it out of my pocket and checked the caller ID.
"Luke!" I exclaimed.
"Is it done?" I asked in a low whisper, holding the phone beneath the bar table.
"Not so fast, brother," Luke replied, his tone calm yet promising. "But trust me, her lover just broke her heart. That gives us the perfect opening to move in."
"We’ll get her soon enough, and then it’ll be over. She’ll be six feet under before you know it," Luke assured me.
A grin spread across my face, slow and wicked.
Finally, one of my problems was about to be solved—for good.