Chapter 22
Drake instinctively shrugged off the woman’s hand from his arm. She stiffened at his reaction.
“Celine and I are friends too. Is it so strange that I’m at her birthday party?” Gabriella’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“No, I just thought you didn’t like these kinds of events, so I didn’t mention it,” Drake said.
Gabriella laughed inwardly. Was that really the reason? Or did he deliberately keep quiet so he could bring someone else?
Drake’s eyes swept the room coldly, as if demanding to know who had invited her.
Celine avoided his gaze, pretending she had nothing to
with it.
“Hi, you must be Gabriella. I’m Sienna. Drake must have mentioned me?” The woman who arrived with Drake stepped forward.
So this was Sienna-Drake’s first love, his
erfect memory.
The pain in Gabriella’s chest was sharp
But her mask was perfect. “Ah, Sienna. I’ve heard so much about you,” Gabriella replied with a practiced smile.
and immediate. Three years of love couldn’t be erased in an instant, no matter how much she wished it could.
Sienna studied her with a knowing look. “Has anyone ever told you we look alike?”
Drake’s expression darkened instantly.
Gabriella caught his reaction with bitter amusement. She turned back to meet Sienna’s slightly challenging gaze.
“Really?” Gabriella blinked innocently. “I don’t see it. I’m prettier.”
The onlookers froze. This wasn’t the sweet, accommodating Gabriella they knew. Where did this fire come from?
Sensing the tension, Celine quickly intervened. “Come on, everyone, let’s sit down.”
Sienna forced a smile and handed Celine her gift. “Happy birthday, C.”
Celine’s eyes widened as she opened it-the box was identical to Gabriella’s gift.
“Oh wow, I’ve wanted this necklace forever! Thank you, Sienna!”
Gabriella’s stomach dropped. The same necklace she’d chosen?
Celine opened Gabriella’s gift next. “Oh my god, Gabriella got me the same one!”
“Must be a replica,” someone muttered from the back. “That necklace costs over five grand. Even at a mid-tier firm, it’s a bit much for a junior
associate.”
The room fell silent. Judging eyes turned to Gabriella.
The irony wasn’t lost on her. Despite making a respectable $165,000 at her firm-a salary that would be enviable in most circles-in Drake’s world of private equity and old money, she might as well have been counting pennies. To them, she was just another junior lawyer at a commercial firm, not one of the elite M&A attorneys pulling in half a million at White & Case or Skadden.
Drake’s face darkened. “Gabriella, if you needed money for a gift, you could have asked me. You didn’t have to—”
Buy a fake. The unspoken accusation hung in the air.
“You think I bought a counterfeit too, Drake?” Gabriella’s voice was ice.
His silence was answer enough.
“Come on, guys,” Celine attempted to smooth things over, “Gabriella wouldn’t do that.” But even her eyes held a hint of doubt.
Gabriella’s heart sank. She’d spent over five thousand dollars on that necklace out of genuine gratitude for Celine’s past kindness.
Chapter 22
Three years ago, when Gabriella had fled to New York to escape her family’s marriage arrangements, she’d been cut off financially. Without using any family connections, she’d worked her way up from her first-year associate salary at a respected midsize firm. While it was a comfortable living by any reasonable standard, to Drake’s social circle of hedge fund managers and venture capitalists, it might as well have been minimum wage.
While most of Drake’s world had looked down on her, Celine had been different-or so Gabriella had thought. She’d defended Gabriella, included her in conversations. Apparently, that kindness had been skin-deep.
How ironic. The moment she’d agreed to the arranged marriage, her father had restored her access to the family accounts. Five thousand dollars was pocket change now.
“I’ll take the necklace back,” Drake said tersely. “I’ll get you something else, Celine. I apologize for this… misunderstanding.”
Celine hesitated, caught between preserving Drake’s pride and avoiding offense.
“Give it to him if you want,” Gabriella said coldly, arms crossed.
As Celine reluctantly handed over the box, Sienna chimed in with false sympathy: “Drake, don’t be angry. She meant well.”
Drake remained silent, his face dark.
Someone suggested playing drinking games to break the tension. Sienna joined them with a bright smile.
Gabriella retreated to a corner sofa, not interested. in their games. Drake followed, sitting beside her.
She ignored him, focusing
on
Finally, he spoke: “You could
her phone.
have
tten something cheaper instead of a fake.”
“If you’re so sure it’s fake,
give
“You’re embarrassing me, you
know that?”
Gabriella took a deep breath and turned to face him.
“How exactly am I embarrassing you? The receipt is in the box. Should we call the store to verify it?”
Drake paused, then checked the receipt. His expression softened slightly. “Why didn’t you say something earlier?”
“Wasn’t worth the effort,” Gabriella muttered, returning to her phone.
Eventually, Drake offered a quiet apology.
Gabriella pretended not to hear, but she noticed his attention constantly drifting to the group playing drinking games-or more specifically, to Sienna.
When Sienna lost a round and was pressured to drink, Drake managed to restrain himself. But by her fourth drink, he suddenly stood and strode over, snatching the glass from her hand.
“Your stomach can’t handle this much alcohol. Are you trying to make yourself sick?”
The room fell silent at his obvious anger.
Sienna looked up at him defiantly. “Why do you care?”
“No more drinking,” he commanded, glaring at the group. “Anyone tries to make her drink more, they deal with me.”
The others quickly looked away.
From her corner, Gabriella watched the scene with a bitter smile.
Sienna stood to grab her drink back. Drake held it out of reach.
She lost her balance trying to get it, falling against his chest.
Drake caught her instinctively, his arm wrapping around her waist. “Still so clumsy after all these years?”
Sienna looked up at him, cheeks flushed from alcohol, her voice playful. “You’re still so annoying, Drake.”
12.40
The group: started I teasing them.
Drake
was
about to
respond when he
caught
Gabriella’s i
ice-cold
stare
across the
room.
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.