Chapter 397

Chapter 397
“Mom, please calm down. Don't pressure me right now,” said Daniel, trying to manage the chaos he had just created. “I don't want to scare her. I want the relationship to flow naturally. If she knows you're already planning the wedding before even the first family dinner, she'll run away to another continent.”
Daniel swallowed hard. He was building a mountain of lies on a foundation of sand. How could he ask Gabriela to pretend to be his girlfriend? And the biggest question of all: Would she agree to go along with this charade?
“Hahaha, sorry, honey!” Elisa laughed, delighted, looking like a teenager. “Your mother is just happy to know you have someone.” I can finally sleep in peace! Right, Celso?
“Hmm.” Celso smiled, caressing his wife's hand.
Daniel remained silent, feeling the weight of responsibility.
“Mom...” he began, hesitantly. “I hope you won't be disappointed when you find out who she is.”
The question of Gabriela's nationality weighed heavily on his mind. The Spector family was traditional, and his grandfather had been one of the founders of the nation, a staunch nationalist. A foreign daughter-in-law could be a problem.
“What do you mean by that?” asked Celso, raising an eyebrow, his protective instinct kicking in.
“Does she have legal problems? Is she a criminal? A gold digger?”
Daniel looked at his father and a wry half-smile appeared on his lips.
“No, Dad. But I don't know if you'll... approve of her profile right away.”
With a deep sigh, Daniel realized he was sinking deeper and deeper into the drama he himself had scripted. He hadn't even spoken to Gabriela, but he was already defending her honor to his parents. How stupid!
“Don't worry, son.” Elisa held back a smile and adopted a serious tone. “As long as she's a woman, not married to someone else, not a criminal, and not an enemy of our family... Mom will accept her wholeheartedly.”
“Dad agrees with your mother,” added Celso.
“Understood,” said Daniel, his voice weak.
Paradoxically, their acceptance increased the pressure.
The problem now was logistical and emotional: Gabriela would be returning to New York at any moment.
Daniel felt a strange emptiness. For the first time in months, he felt adrift, without a strategy, without a contingency plan. The relentless general was lost on the battlefield of love.
He didn't stay long. He declined the invitation to lunch and made up an urgent meeting at the office to escape his father's scrutiny.
He walked to his black Hummer parked at the entrance of the official residence. Anguish tightened his chest.
However, as soon as he opened the car door, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket.
He picked up the device. As he read the name on the screen, his rigid expression of concern melted away, giving way to a smile of relief and affection.
\[Gabriela\]: Hi! I'm on my way to the airport. See you next time, Daniel Spector. Bye! 😄👋
Daniel's smile faltered.
“So... she's really leaving today.”
He sighed deeply, staring at the message. His thumb hovered over the screen.
Reply or let it go?
If he let her go, he would be free from the confusion, but stuck in a marriage arranged by his parents. If he made her stay... would he be using her feelings?
After a few seconds of agonizing hesitation, Daniel made a decision. He typed quickly:
\[Daniel\]: Gabriela, sorry to ask this... but can you stay a few more days?
He didn't hit “send” right away. He read and reread the words. It sounded desperate. It sounded selfish.
“Damn it, Daniel! What the hell are you doing? She's on her way to the airport. Are you going to ask her to miss her flight just to save your own skin?”
He sighed, looking up at the blue sky of Brasília, trying to find logic where there was only chaos.
But the more he thought about it, the more he found it funny. He, the ice man, was confused because of a woman.
It seemed that the curse of becoming a lovesick fool haunted any man who got involved with Lilian's circle.
With a final sigh of resignation, Daniel's finger descended on the send button.
Sent.
“What are you doing standing there like a statue?”
The sudden female voice made Daniel jump.
In a defensive reflex, he tried to hide his cell phone behind his back. But in his haste and shock, his thumb brushed against the touchscreen.
Sent.
He didn't notice.
Daniel regained his composure, shoving the device into his pants pocket with his heart racing, and turned to face the intruder.
“What do you think I'm doing?” he retorted, with an ironic smile to hide his nervousness. “Visiting Mom and Dad, of course. And you, Marcella? What are you doing here at this hour?”
A radiant smile lit up Marcella's face as she playfully punched her older brother's shoulder.
“Wow! What a stupid question. Did you forget that I live here?”
Daniel let out a short laugh.
“What I meant was, why aren't you at the office?” He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Did Rose finally fire you for slacking off instead of working?”
Marcella laughed loudly.
“Rose loves me, okay? She would never fire me. I have a meeting nearby, so I came to scrounge lunch from Mom. What about you, little brother? Aren't you staying?”
It was rare to see Daniel there during the week.
He shook his head and got into the Hummer, rolling down the window.
“I can't. I have an urgent meeting.”
“Drive carefully, General...”
He just waved and accelerated, leaving the official residence.
As he drove back to the office, Daniel exhaled the breath he had been holding in his lungs. His mind returned to the message he (thought he) hadn't sent.
A wave of relief washed over him.
“Thank goodness Marcella showed up,” he thought. “I was about to make a terrible mistake. It would have been humiliating to ask her to stay and have to explain why.”
He smiled, feeling saved by the bell. He had avoided embarrassment. Or so he thought.