Chapter 81 You Want to Look? Plenty of Women Would Strip for You!
When the conversation turned to business, Manuel set aside his scattered thoughts and discussed his plans after returning home.
Arabella sat quietly to one side, listening intently to their conversation.
Though she despised Gabriel's usual underhanded behavior, she had to admit his sharp insight and analysis in business matters.
Having spent years abroad, Manuel had been exposed to more advanced concepts and technologies, giving him unique perspectives on cutting-edge industries.
The two men got along well, and she was learning about subjects she'd never encountered before.
Manuel was one of tonight's focal points, with many entrepreneurs seeking him out for discussions.
Before they could finish their conversation, several other prominent business figures approached, and Gabriel's phone conveniently rang, giving him an excuse to step away.
The reception lasted until ten o'clock.
After being out for four or five hours, Arabella was beyond uncomfortable. She'd already made two trips to the restroom, awkwardly dealing with her milk let-down.
Even so, the fabric at the front of her dress had become somewhat damp.
Fortunately, Gabriel's jacket was still draped over her shoulders.
Just as she returned from the restroom to the banquet hall, Gabriel strode over, his expression slightly dark, "Why do you keep disappearing? I've been looking for you all night."
Arabella frowned, asking in a low voice, "How much longer until this ends? I want to go home."
Seeing Arabella's exhausted expression, Gabriel swallowed the harsh words that habitually came to his lips, checking his watch instead, "About another half hour."
As he spoke, he reached for the suit jacket on Arabella's shoulders while instructing, "If you're tired, go sit over there for a while. I'm supposed to meet someone with Dominic—just a quick chat, then we'll leave."
Naturally, Dominic was at this type of event.
However, his female companion wasn't Emily, but one of his female cousins.
"Wait, don't!" Seeing him about to take the jacket, Arabella quickly pressed her hand down to stop him.
Gabriel looked suspicious, "What? Getting addicted to wearing it?"
"No... I—" Her eyes darted about, her expression quite embarrassed. After glancing around, she lowered her voice, "I... well, my dress got wet. I need to cover it."
Gabriel understood immediately, his gaze dropping briefly to her chest, a hint of embarrassment crossing his handsome face.
Understanding why she wanted to leave, he immediately changed his mind, "Forget it, let's go home."
"Huh? Didn't you just say you had to meet someone...?"
"Not anymore. I'll arrange it another time." Having made up his mind, he wrapped an arm around Arabella's waist, led her to say goodbye to the various bigshots, then left first.
Arabella still felt uneasy, asking worriedly as she followed him out, "Is it really okay to leave early like this? Won't it interfere with your business?"
"Suddenly so concerned about me—have you changed?" Gabriel turned to look at her, asking with a smile.
Arabella pressed her lips together, saying unhappily, "I'm just afraid you'll blame me later, saying I ruined your business."
"That's exactly what it is." Gabriel replied automatically, wanting to deliberately provoke her.
Sure enough, Arabella shook off his hand and gave him a push, "Then go back! I can get home by myself."
Evelyn was waiting outside, and seeing them emerge, immediately stepped forward to ask, "Mr. Sterling, leaving already?"
"Yes, give me the coat." Seeing the coat in Evelyn's hands, he naturally reached for it.
But Arabella grabbed it instead, "I'll wear my own."
Gabriel frowned, snatching the coat back, "What's wrong with my clothes? You weren't complaining about them earlier."
He was doing it on purpose, refusing to let her wear her own coat back, insisting she keep wearing his jacket.
Their childish behavior made Evelyn smile, and she advised, "Mrs. Sterling, why not indulge Mr. Sterling's wishes? Though Mr. Sterling, you certainly can't wear Mrs. Sterling's coat—it's quite cold outside now."
"It's not winter yet, how cold can it be?" Gabriel replied arrogantly, steering the woman in his arms out of the venue.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they stepped through the revolving door, a cold wind hit them in the face.
Arabella instinctively pulled Gabriel's jacket tighter around herself, while the man beside her couldn't help but shiver.
Arabella turned to look at him, her expression subtle.
Gabriel smiled faintly, "What are you looking at me for?"
"..." She couldn't be bothered to respond. Seeing the car hadn't arrived yet, she asked kindly, "Want your jacket back?"
"No need."
Since he was being so stubborn and refusing to back down, Arabella didn't waste any more words.
After waiting a few more minutes, Ralph finally drove up.
Seeing Gabriel standing thinly dressed under the portico from afar, Ralph immediately got out to open the door after parking.
"Mr. Sterling, sorry for the delay."
Gabriel shot him a look, "I thought you'd gotten lost."
"..." Ralph remained silent, not explaining that someone else's fender-bender had blocked the road, causing his delay.
Once they got in the car, it immediately became warm.
The partition between front and back remained raised. Unable to stand the cold, wet fabric against her chest, Arabella didn't care that Gabriel was sitting beside her and immediately grabbed tissues from the car to dab at it.
"Dabbing like that won't help, will it?" Gabriel watched her movements, offering helpful advice.
After all, tissues couldn't completely dry it, and on such a cold day, wet fabric against skin was definitely uncomfortable.
"Then what else can I do? I can only dab at it and make do." Arabella snapped back at him irritably.
What was she supposed to do, strip in the car?
Who would have thought Gabriel would say the next second, "Why don't you just take the dress off? This kind of fabric gets itchy when it's wet against skin."
Arabella's movements paused, and she stared at him incredulously, knowing exactly what this guy was thinking.
Seeing her annoyed expression, Gabriel chuckled, "What's wrong? I told you to take off the wet dress, not to go naked. I have clean clothes in the trunk."
Without waiting for Arabella's response, he pressed the intercom to instruct Ralph, "Pull over."
Soon the car pulled to the side. Ralph was about to get out to ask what was wrong, but saw Gabriel get out first.
Gabriel personally went to the trunk to get clean clothes, returning to the car and handing them to her, "Change into this—it'll be more comfortable than wearing wet clothes."
As the car continued on, Arabella looked at the clothes he offered, hesitating briefly before shaking her head, "No need. It's warm in the car—I'm not cold."
"Are you really so resistant to touching anything of mine? We've shared a bed for two years—you've absorbed my scent. Do you find even your own body disgusting now?"
Didn't Gabriel know exactly what was going through her mind?
But the more she avoided him, the more she treated him like a stranger, the more annoyed he became.
They were husband and wife—what was wrong with changing clothes in front of each other?
Arabella glared at him, fuming, and they reached a stalemate.
Gabriel pushed the eco-friendly bag containing the clothes toward her again, his expression becoming increasingly intimidating.
Unable to bear it any longer, she decided to call him out, "You just want me to strip and change clothes in front of you to satisfy some perverted desire, don't you? You want to look? Plenty of women would strip for you—why make things difficult for me!"