Chapter 286 Yes! I Just Have Bad Intentions

Chapter 286 Yes! I Just Have Bad Intentions

"Enough!" Arabella would never admit in front of the children that she regretted having them, even though they were still too young to understand.

"Manuel, you should go. I'm fine, thanks for your concern." Arabella politely urged him to leave again.

Though reluctant, Manuel had no choice but to accept defeat.

After he left, Arabella immediately shook off Gabriel's arm, holding Isabella as she turned away in anger.

Gabriel smiled, his long legs carrying him with noble elegance as he leisurely followed behind.

"When he was watching, you didn't treat me like this. Were you putting on a show for him? Trying to make him give up?"

Gabriel's slightly raised voice came from behind, drawing curious glances from passersby.

Arabella's nerves tensed. She stopped and turned back. "Keep your voice down!"

She was completely exasperated with this man!

She'd thought if she couldn't afford to provoke him, she could at least avoid him. Now it seemed she couldn't even do that!

Gabriel sauntered closer, looking at her flustered, angry face, his lips curving in a wicked smile. "So I was right?"

Arabella looked away. "Just because I rejected him doesn't mean I've changed my mind about you."

With that, she carried her daughter into the elevator.

Her heart raced a little. She had to admit, this bastard was understanding her better and better.

When Manuel was present, she hadn't immediately shaken off Gabriel—partly because she didn't want to appear too resistant or repulsed, which might make Manuel think she was being mistreated and cause him to confront Gabriel.

Secondly, as Gabriel had guessed, she wanted Manuel to see her as a bad woman who maintained an ambiguous relationship with her ex-husband, so he would give up on her.

She couldn't give Manuel promises or a future, and she didn't want him wasting more time on her.

But what she'd thought was perfect concealment had been seen through completely by Gabriel.

She couldn't help feeling uneasy.

This man was too shrewd. Any little scheme she tried in the future would be exposed immediately.

Lost in chaotic thoughts, she'd just exited the elevator with her daughter when Gabriel emerged from another elevator with Henry and Mary almost simultaneously.

Her son's loud crying echoed. Arabella's nerves twitched as she turned back.

Gabriel was holding their son. The little boy was wailing, reaching for his mother, looking utterly pitiful.

Well... he'd finally seen his mother, only to have her hold just Isabella and not him. Of course he was upset!

Gabriel looked meaningfully at her. Seeing her stop again, he wore a triumphant expression as he approached with the crying boy. "Aren't you being a bit too biased? Isn't your son your own flesh and blood?"

Arabella kept a cold face, not bothering to respond to him. But when she looked at her son, her expression softened. "Sweetheart, don't cry. Mommy can't hold both of you. I'll hold you in a bit, okay?"

The little one couldn't speak, but his body language clearly showed he wasn't willing—he lunged directly from his father's arms.

Arabella couldn't catch him, but Gabriel quickly intervened, catching Isabella while protecting both children in her arms.

The family of four was instantly bound together, accompanied by the two children's wailing. Arabella's head throbbed. She complained irritably, "Who told you to bring them out so late at night? Isabella just recovered from being sick!"

Gabriel's head ached too. He could only soothe, "The car's right by the road. Once we're in, it'll be fine. I'll hold our son for now. A little crying won't hurt."

As soon as he finished speaking, Arabella retorted unkindly, "Seems like you don't treat your son as your own either."

He chuckled quietly, forming a stark contrast with the bawling boy in his arms.

With the children present, Arabella couldn't maintain her distance from him. Reaching the roadside, she saw the familiar van and ducked inside without a word.

Gabriel followed with their son.

As soon as they were in the car, the little boy lunged at his mother again. Arabella quickly made room, letting her son squeeze into her embrace too.

Seeing her holding one child on each side, Gabriel remarked enviously, "Look how irresponsible you are, yet they both cling to you desperately. I'm with them day and night, and neither one thinks I'm worth a glance."

Arabella ignored his plaintive complaint.

The car started moving. The children needed to be placed in their safety seats.

Seeing Gabriel staring at her blankly without helping, she kicked him irritably. "What are you staring at! Put our son in the safety seat in the back!"

Gabriel startled, collecting himself. "He doesn't want me. The moment I pick him up, he'll cry again."

As soon as he finished speaking, seeing the woman's cool, displeased expression, he had no choice but to play the villain again and forcibly lift their son from her arms.

Sure enough, the moment he was picked up, the little one started wailing again.

But no amount of crying would help. For safety's sake, he had to be secured in the safety seat when riding in the car.

"This is all your fault! What's wrong with you! At this hour they should be asleep at home. Why did you drag them out?" Arabella complained continuously as she fastened her daughter's safety belt.

Gabriel said nothing.

After all, he was in the wrong.

"And how did you know where I was eating dinner? Did you send someone to follow me again? I'm telling you, that's illegal!" She was genuinely angry about this.

Gabriel, annoyed by his son's crying and now being lectured, turned back irritably. "Do I really have nothing better to do? Dominic happened to see you two and told me."

Arabella stared at him, her eyes skeptical.

To prove his innocence, Gabriel pulled out his phone and showed her the video. "Look."

The woman glanced at it, her expression helpless. "You two really are birds of a feather!"

"Anyway, I never hear a single good word about me from your mouth," Gabriel complained flatly.

Arabella said nothing, settling Isabella before quieting down herself.

Gabriel produced a toy from somewhere and tossed it to their son. The little boy was temporarily pacified. Gabriel looked at the woman's fair, gentle profile, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily as he asked in a low voice, "What did Manuel want with you again? If you don't want to be with him, why have dinner with him?"

"Last time with Zachary, he really helped me out. Wasn't it you who said I should treat him to dinner?" Arabella glanced at him sideways, using his own words against him.

Gabriel said, "But you didn't tell me beforehand. You ate alone with him—who knows what you were thinking?"

"That's right, I had bad intentions. I just really enjoy the feeling of being pursued and admired by men. Happy now?" These words were the very accusations Gabriel had thrown at her a few days ago, now turned back on him.

Gabriel was too angry to respond. "Can't you speak normally?"

"Fine, I'll speak normally." Arabella suddenly remembered something and looked at him. "Mark from our studio—did you use your influence to poach him?"

Gabriel paused, his expression clearly guilty as he frowned. "Who? What Mark?"

"Don't pretend!" After these months of battling wits, Arabella understood him well too.

The slightest trace on his face couldn't escape her eyes.